'Yelp for People' app is a terrifying possibility
Peeple, an app that is essentially Yelp, but for people and not place, is releasing in November. It's a rather terrifying prospect.
Peeple, an app that is essentially Yelp, but for people and not place, is releasing in November. It’s a rather terrifying prospect.
The app will let people put your name into the system, so that anyone you have ever interacted with can rate you on a 5-star system. What’s worse, you can’t take your name off the list unless you violate the terms of service.
“People do so much research when they buy a car or make those kinds of decisions,” said Julia Cordray, one of the app’s founders. “Why not do the same kind of research on other aspects of your life?”
Cordray has repeatedly assured concerned parties that there will be strenuous requirements in place in order to prevent bullying. For example, you must be 21 and have a Facebook account in order to leave a review, and you have to use your real name. You also are required to prove that you know the person you are leaving a review for by providing that person’s cell phone number.
Furthermore, positive reviews are posted immediately, while negative reviews are given a 48-hour period in which the person being reviewed can contest the review. If you don’t have the app, your name can only receive positive reviews, since you are not there to contest the negative ones. Peeple has also put up rules against profanity, sexism, or privacy issues such as revealing a private health condition.
Still, the launch of the app raises many questions about objectifying people and distilling them down simply to numbers. What do you think, Grio fam? Is this new app creepy and invasive or interesting and helpful?
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/649566110153510912
