New People Rating App Peeple Causes Backlash
A new app due to launch next month that allows users to rate and review people has caused mass uproar.
Peeple – an app developed by Nicole McCullough and Julie Cordray will allow members to give star ratings to people they know, similar to Yelp.
This app has caused a massive uproar online with web users describing it as ‘creepy’ and ‘terrifying’, more so because users will not be able to remove comments made about them, nor will they be able to delete their accounts.
Those over 21 with a Facebook profile that has been active for 6 months or more will be allowed to sign up to the app. You will be required to sign up with your phone number to prevent fake accounts or bots.
“By joining our community you can be seen by the people that know you and rate and be rated by that community,” explained the app’s founders Julia Cordray and Nicole McCullough.
“Your network lifts you up and says positive things about you so that you can have a strong online reputation and get job opportunities, access to more networking opportunities with like-minded people, interact with other single people, and have the ability to search others to make better decisions around your greatest assets, such as your family.”
Not only is this an incredibly creepy tool, but the general consensus is that it will increase cyberbullying to an all time high. With the likes of Ask.fm coming under fire over the last few years, it is hard to comprehend why this site would even come into reality.
The people behind this app have assured critics that any negative reviews will be on hold for 48 hours before being published so that it can be checked and approved. But if there can be no resolution between the commenter and commented it will go live anyway.
Peeple have also stated that they will independently assess negative reviews during the 48 hour window to make sure that there is no breach of terms and conditions, but how reliable would that be? Peeple encourages users to assess others and admits that negative comments can be difficult to manage.
Similarly, Ask.fm have certain requirements and safety nets to prevent cyberbullying, but this has been shown to have certain flaws.
Many have expressed that this app could be a hoax and we here at The Arcade kind of hope it is. However, if it is launched, this app will be free to iOS users in November with an Android version coming soon after.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
