Peeple, the notorious people-rating app that went viral last year for all the wrong reasons, has landed in the App Store.
Often billed as "Yelp for people," the app -- which launched on iOS Monday -- lets you rate people you know on a 1-to-5 star scale professionally, personally or romantically. Update: The public is still not impressed.
[seealso URL= "http://sale-online.click/2015/10/01/peeple-app/"]
Peeple connects to your Facebook profile and address book so you can find those you know on the app but you can also rate individuals who haven't signed up for the service -- a feature that has been widely criticized. (Users, even those who don't have an account on the app, ultimately have full control over what "recommendations" are published about them.)
The app requires you to sign up with your phone number and Facebook account, which its creators say encourages authenticity and reduces the risk of bullying. Additionally, your own "positivity" ranking will decrease if you leave many negative reviews about people. The company says these and other features will guard against negativity and bullying.
Peeple briefly went viral in October -- well before launch -- after its founders began publicly discussing the app, which they said was meant to encourage positivity. But despite their repeated claims the app was meant to be a force for good, many onlookers saw it as creepy and expressed concerns the app would encourage cyberbullying.
[seealso URL= "http://sale-online.click/2015/10/01/peeple-defense/"]
Regardless of built-in safeguards, Peeple clearly has a way to go if it hopes to repair its image. (The company does appear to be addressing user concerns on Facebook and has already published a lengthy FAQ on its website that explains how the app works and its terms and conditions in more detail.)
Who's going to use #Peeple #PeepleApp for good? Not even good people. What would be the point?— FragileOrangeBlossom (@SteffieBellTemo) March 7, 2016
Appears to be developed by two people who are sad they had to leave high school.
What a dehumanizing idea. #PeepleApp— DJ boB (@zczbob) March 7, 2016
Friendships, and personal connections, gets superficial with #PeepleApp. Online harassment is a thing, peeple. #yyc pic.twitter.com/MJRcmCuEO0— Nikki Celis (@CelisNikki) March 7, 2016