Zorpia
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Social networking service |
| Founded | December 2003 |
| Founder | Jeffrey Ng |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong , China |
Key people | Jeffrey Ng (CEO) |
| Products | Social networking, photo sharing, messaging, user profiles |
Number of employees | 30 |
| Website | www |
Zorpia () is a social networking platform primarily aimed at users within China. It stands out as one of the few foreign social networks possessing a Chinese Internet Content Provider license. The service claims to have 2 million unique visitors monthly and a worldwide user community totaling 26 million. Established and managed by CEO Jeffrey Ng, Zorpia operates as a privately held firm headquartered in Hong Kong with a workforce of 30 employees.
The company has encountered criticism related to deceptive spam practices used to collect email addresses, including sending messages purportedly from users without their permission. In 2012, PandoDaily brought attention to Zorpia’s extensive spamming problems, which adversely affected its public image.
History
Zorpia was launched in December 2003 by Jeffrey Ng as a social networking site designed to connect individuals seeking new relationships. While major platforms such as Facebook and Twitter remain inaccessible in China, Zorpia utilized its ICP license to grow its user base domestically. In 2009, it formed an alliance with Viximo, a provider of virtual goods and currency software, to strengthen its revenue model.
Leadership
Jeffrey Ng embarked on his entrepreneurial journey at age 13 by developing a Japanese music website and search engine. He earned a degree in computer engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Before founding Zorpia, Ng gained professional experience at Expedia and the university’s National Center for Supercomputing Applications.
Services
Zorpia provides functionalities such as photo sharing, social networking, messaging, and customizable user profiles. The platform integrates proprietary algorithms to assess user compatibility and incorporates mechanisms for detecting false identities alongside attractiveness scoring systems to promote connections. Being one of the rare social networks licensed in China, Zorpia leverages this advantage to expand its market footprint.
Recognition
According to Alexa Internet, Zorpia ranks among the top 6,000 most frequented websites worldwide, positioned near 4000 globally, with approximately 40% of traffic originating from India and 10% from China. It also ranks within the top 1000 websites in India, holding position 933.
Business Today India recognized Zorpia as the fastest-growing platform in the Indian market between 2009 and 2010. The site has also been acknowledged by CNN, China Daily, and featured on Phoenix Television's program A Date with Luyu.
Privacy issues
In September 2013, allegations surfaced accusing Zorpia of engaging in cookie theft, data mining, and spam distribution. The company responded by stating that these complaints represent only a minor segment of its overall user population.
Zorpia requires authorization to access Facebook or Google accounts and subsequently sends automated invitations via email on behalf of users to their contacts. Notably, even after users delete their accounts, these contacts may continue receiving such emails. Investigations uncovered instances where accounts were generated without explicit user approval; Zorpia attributed this occurrence to software bugs. User reactions vary widely: some recommend unsubscribing from these emails while others suggest blocking them entirely. There are reports of increased spam following unsubscription attempts. Reviewing permissions granted in Google accounts is advised as a method to control these issues.