Facebook rival keeps university antics secret

Unii.com has been developed purely for those in higher education and promises to keep student antics under wraps.

Only those with official university email addresses will be able to join the site which developers claim will afford under-graduates privacy online.

The social network will operate in a similar way to Mark Zuckerberg’s brainchild which began by restricting membership to students before opening up to the rest of the world.

Marco Nardone, the 24-year-old CEO of Unii.com, insisted his site would ensure “what happens at uni, can now stay at uni”.

He said: “Most students wouldn’t invite their parents to a party, or loop them into a phone conversation, so why should they have to worry about what they might see on social networks? University is a place where students experiment responsibly, make new friends and find their feet, so we’ve developed a social network that allows them to do just that solely amongst their peers.”

Developers say the site should help students make the most of their university experience, with pages dedicated to social societies and a dedicated “jobs board” to find employment.

As with other social networks, members of Unii.com can group their connections within circles to decrease or expand on the number of people who can see each post.

A spokesman said: “It is available to all students at university within the UK and as such requires a university accredited email address in order to log in.

“This gives students complete privacy in their online activity meaning they can post and communicate with other students in their networks without worrying about their online footprint with families and potential future employers.”

When students leave university they will be given “alumni status” on the site. This part of the site is still being developed.