Peeple: an App That Allows You to Review People You Know is Receiving A lot of Backlash

When people first heard about Peeple, a forthcoming app in which users can review and rate people they know, there was an uproar.

@WeHatePeeple, an anti-peeple Twitter account, has 13.6K followers. Chrissy Teigen also took to Twitter to express her anger about the new app. “In an age where both truth and gossip on the Internet can literally ruin lives, this #peeple app is horrible AND scary #yelpforhumans???” she tweeted.

In an age where both truth and gossip on the Internet can literally ruin lives, this #peeple app is horrible AND scary #yelpforhumans???

— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) October 1, 2015

at least I signed up to have the world judge and grade me publicly. I fucking hate this app and the boardroom table it was created around.

— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) October 1, 2015

In spite of the negative reactions, the app’s cofounder, Julia Cordray says she still intends to release it. “We are in fact creating an app called Peeple and have every intention of releasing it at the end of November,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

She did, however, explain some major changes with the app.

“That’s why Peeple is focused on the positive and ONLY THE POSITIVE as a 100% OPT-IN system. You will NOT be on our platform without your explicit permission. There is no 48 hour waiting period to remove negative comments,” says Cordray. “There is no way to even make negative comments. Simply stated, if you don’t explicitly say ‘approve recommendation’ it will not be visible on our platform.”

Amy Poehler Positivity gif — Amy Poehler droppin’ knowledge source: http://rebloggy.com

This is a change from the previous plans for the app. “You can’t opt out — once someone puts your name in the Peeple system, it’s there unless you violate the site’s terms of service. And you can’t delete bad or biased reviews — that would defeat the whole purpose,” says an article from the Washington Post published a few days before Cordray’s LinkedIn post. The previous plan for the app included a 48-hour period before negative reviews posted “in case of disputes.”

Judging You gif — This guy is judging you (source:https://in.pinterest.com/pin/90142430017597515/)

To use the app, you must have a valid Facebook account, be at least 21 years old and publish reviews under your real name. These features may, presumably, still be in place.

Although the founder’s LinkedIn post cleared up a few things, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding the controversial app. The official Twitter account and Facebook page of the app recently disappeared with no explanation from the founders, according to Tech Times. Peeple’s official website, forthepeeple.com, also went down but reappeared with nothing but a “Waiting List” for those who want to be among the app’s first users and the message “Join the positive revolution #oct12.” Cordray’s LinkedIn post, however, says the release is scheduled for the end of November.