AUSTIN STARTUP ENVISIONS ‘NEXT INTERNET’

Company’s browser lets users endorse stories they read on the web.

A new Austin startup wants to put an end to fake news, fake profiles and “alternative facts” online.

Authenticated Reality launched its product, a browser called “The New Internet,” in private beta testing this week.

The browser essentially sits on top of every web page its users visit, letting them authenticate stories they believe are real by placing their digital signature on them as an endorsement.

“With the latest plague of fake news, fake comments, fake advertising, fake everything, we know the time is right for this,” said Chris Ciabarra, co-founder and chief technology officer for Authenticated Reality. “Our platform puts power into the hands of the people to call out falsehoods and maliciousness on the

internet. We’re doing this by ensuring all users in the

community are real people who have been properly verified in order to be active on

the platform.” Here’s how it works: Users create an account on Authenticated Reality’s website by logging in with a social media account and scanning the barcode on

their driver’s license.

When approved, users download the company’s browser onto their device

and surf the web as they ordinarily would. Users can also rate and comment on every web page through a

pop-up sidebar, which lets you see the actual identity of others who are commenting.

Downloading the browser will cost $19.99 per user for personal accounts, according to the company’s website.

Authenticated Reality is also pursuing business and government customers. Pric- ing hasn’t been disclosed for those users, the company said.

“All businesses need email authentication. A lot of peo- ple are impersonating other people right now. It’s like ‘Is this person real who’s coming through my door or not?’ ” Ciabarra said. “Our email platform adds a layer of authenticity to all online business interactions.”

Prior to founding Authen- ticated Reality, Ciabarra was co-founder and chief tech- nology officer of Revel, a San Francisco-based iPad point-of-sale startup. Cia- barra left Revel earlier this year, following a change in the company’s top management.

But Ciabarra said he was already laying the foun- dation for Authenticated Reality while still at Revel. He looked at several cities before choosing Austin for the company’s headquarters.

“In San Francisco, everybody already has a good job and it’s real hard to find tal

ent,” he said. “I’ve been to Austin many times, and it seems to be a better place to run a startup.”

The company now has 12 employees at its offices at 600 Congress Ave. The company, which Ciabarra

said has raised seed money from undisclosed investors, is hiring in engineering, mar- keting and finance.

As Authenticated Real- ity prepares to launch its browser to the p ublic, among the challenges will be getting people to try it out, said co-founder and

CEO Darin Andersen. “A lot of people are sort of worn down by security, so it’s hard to put out yet

another product,” he said. “But at a time when people are looking for something fresh, this is an opportunity for them to take their security back and control it themselves. We’re excited

about that.”