Why Peeple is the Worst App Idea

by Stephanie Ivy Whiteside

It’s almost Halloween, so it’s a great time for a real life privacy horror story, courtesy of The Washington Post.

For those of you who haven’t seen the story, I’m referring to an upcoming app called Peeple. Described as Yelp for people, it lets you rate everyone in your life.

But wait. It gets better.

Not only does this app allow you to release your inner mean girl, you don’t have to opt-in to join this judgement-fest. No, anyone with your phone number can add you. Your vindictive ex, your disgruntled former roommate, that coworker you never got along with … you get the idea.

And once you’re there? You can’t opt-out, at least according to the vision of the app’s founders.

First of all, let’s consider the privacy implications of this. It may seem like everyone you’ve ever met has a social media presence these days, but that’s not true. There are plenty of people who, for many reasons, choose not to put their life online. Or who choose only to reveal certain aspects.

You may think those reasons are dumb if, like the founders, you believe there’s no reason NOT to want your entire life posted online for judgement. But that should be left up to individuals. It’s nobody’s job to drag their acquaintances kicking and screaming into the social media ecosystem.

As a woman who spends a lot (okay, most) of her time on the internet, I am often very careful of what I reveal. I know far too many women who’ve picked up persistent trolls or stalkers simply for the virtue of being female and possessing an opinion.

And as someone working in media, I’ve similarly downplayed certain views or opinions in service to objectivity and professionalism. This may be considered old-fashioned, but the older I get, the more I’ve come to see the value in discretion. Any of which could be made public and available to future employers and critics.

Second of all, let’s take a minute to reflect on the extended high school atmosphere that the tech industry seems hell-bent on perpetuating. The idea of work as a fun place where you play foosball and hang out with likeminded people all day. The idea that your coworkers should all be the folks you want to hang out with for drinks at the end of the day.

The idea that life is a perpetual high school cafeteria, where everyone should spend their time rating and judging everything (and now, everyone) they come across.

That may sound great, if you were the person getting glowing comments from the crowd. But for most people — the ones who don’t fit in — it’s a nightmare that adulthood was supposed to allow an escape from.

I’m one of those people, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I struggled for years with depression and anxiety, a significant amount of which was related to bullying and ostracism in my childhood. One of the great blessings of adulthood was that it allowed me the freedom to choose not to associate with people who wanted to exist in that mindset and without that ability, I doubt I’d have been able to learn to cope so effectively.

It’s no surprise that the founders of this app are both white women, one of whom self-describes as “trendy.” For those with enough privilege — the white, heterosexual, upper class in particular — there is frequently nothing to lose by putting yourself out there for judgement.

But for many others, it’s not so simple. The person whose religion, race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation makes them a target may have a lot to lose. Think how easy it is for an app like this to allow a queer or trans person to be outed, or to allow a racist colleague to undermine a person of color.

Imagine going through life knowing that everyone who meets or knows you could leave a review on your character that will be available online in perpetuity.

To me, it sounds like a horror movie.

And it’s coming soon, to a phone near you.