WeAre8, a social media app developed by former ad executive and founder of ad spending data service Standard Media Index (SMI) Sue Fennessy, this morning announced a U.S. rollout of what it now describes as "the world's only sustainable social app."

Fennessy, who has been developing WeAre8 for the better part of the past decade, sold SMI along with her husband James Fennessy, startup partner Jane Ratcliffe and investors to private equity firm GTRC last year. SMI was bundled with other portfolio companies, including SQAD, as Dreamscape, and has recently been rebranded Guideline.

“Two billion of us are living in a world of social technology that connects us, but also isolates us, fuels the mental health crisis and climate crisis and undermines democracy at a time when people and society need to come together to support each other and our precious planet," Fennessy says in this morning's announcement, adding: "Society and our planet need technology that serves us and I am excited for the United States being ‘united’ in a new social home that is built on community, purpose and love.”

Fennessy originally conceived WeAre8 as an app that would help consumers -- as well as celebrities -- monetize their social-media presence directly with advertisers, which still appears to be an integral part of its model, albeit with a twist of transforming the "$400 billion digital advertising market" by uniting "1% of the people on our planet to make a positive impact every day."

The announcement says WeAre8 has committed 50% of its profits go "back to people's pockets through a revolutionized advertising experience," including 5% to "charities and carbon offsetting" and 5% to a "creator fund."

It does not state how the other 40% of profits end up back in people's pockets explicitly, but it explains its consumer profit-sharing model this way:

• When you watch brand videos, a share of the advertising money is given to you in appreciation for your time. These micropayments end up in your Wallet on the app, where you can choose to keep the money and cash it out via PayPal or pay it forward to charity.

• WeAre8 is an algorithm free social experience that actively encourages people to go and enjoy the rest of their day off their screens.

As part of today's announcement, WeAre8 says it has received backing from "world class publishers and media companies Warner Bros., Discovery, PinkNews, The Independent and LADbible Group," but does not disclose details of the backing other than a commitment to promote it across their media platforms (see TV campaign below).