Peeple Julia Cordray Nicole McCullough www.forthepeeple.com Violate basic human rights, Violate Privacy, Allows stalkers & harassers access to victims, Perpetuates bullying & fraud, Dangerous & a Public Menace Internet

There is a petition to get this app banned by the Apple and Goole app stores: https://www.change.org/p/apple-google-inc-ban-the-launch-of-the-peeple-application?lang=en-US

This smart phone application allows people to start an online profile for someone else in order to "rate" them with 1-5 stars, completely overriding any personal privacy. It's also fraud - they are creating a profile for someone else, from whom they do not have permission. The person adds the other person's name, picture, and phone number. From their FAQ:

"What if the person I am searching is not in the app?
If the person you are searching for is not in the app you can add their name, profile picture, and start their profile by rating them. You will need their cell phone number to start their profile and they will receive a text that you were the person to start their profile."

There is no way to opt out. This app should be completely opt-in; ie, if you are searching for someone to rate and they don't exist in the app, you should not be able to create their profile. Only people who have previously made an account themselves and specified, through a setting, to opt in to be rated by others should be able to be rated. Nobody except the person who the profile is for should be able to create it.

Not only can you not avoid someone creating a profile in your name, you also can't have any comments removed, even if they are false or for any other reason. From their FAQ:

"Can I delete comments made about me?
No. You can get them removed by Peeple if it violates our terms and conditions once you report it."

You also cannot take your name off of the app. From their FAQ:
"Can I take myself off of Peeple?
No. Not at this time. We may consider this feature in the future."

Google is supposedly not able to directly access the information posted in peeple, but if the person shares it with their "share" feature then it will have access to it. And once Google has it, any attempts to have it removed from the internet are worthless. From their FAQ:

"Can Google pick up on anything from the app?
Google does not have access to the information that is in our app. The only information that Google will have access to is if another user shares the comments they made about you or you share the comments made about them or yourself with our share features. If a profile is unclaimed there is no sharing capability on what has been said on it."

You cannot prevent negative comments from being posted. You have 48 hours to try to "work it out" with the person posting one, but that requires logging in and claiming your profile, with your real name. If you are unable to convince the other person not to post it, it will go live. After that you are expected to defend yourself publicly. From their FAQ:

How do I dispute a review of me?
"When another user makes a negative comment about you (2 stars or less) the comment does not go live right away. It goes into your inbox on the app, you will be notified, and now you have 48 hours timer to work it out with the user. If you cannot turn a negative into a positive the comment will go live and then you can publicly defend yourself."

There are many reasons this app needs to be taken down: it perpetuates bullying with its star ratings, causes needlessly hurt feelings with its star ratings, the comments can be used against you in your employment, and many others.

This app is hurtful, irresponsible, and a menace; it is dangerous, especially for people who keep themselves and their real names and pictures off of the internet for a wide range of reasons. Not the least of which is when someone has been a victim of domestic violence and/or stalkers. This app will give their stalker a direct means to keep violating their privacy, and could even lead to knowing where they are based on what others say about them in a profile the person cannot even control. These people have children and other family members they are trying to protect, and there is no way they can protect themselves from this dangerous application.

This app will allow someone I have a restraining order to locate me based on comments made by people either because they specifically say where they are in the comments or by looking at their unprotected facebook account. There is no way for me to protect myself and my children by opting out. There is no way for me get ahold of the hundreds of people I know and ask them not to "rate" me - good or bad - because of what this will do to my online privacy. I have not shared this detail of my private life with many people because it is none of their business. I've spent YEARS making sure none of my or my children's information or pictures get posted online, and getting my information out of public record online sites (and was able to, unlike this app!) to protect myself and my children. This app makes a mockery of every bit of safety I've tried to provide my family.

We will end up dead because of this app. And we are not the only people in this particular situation. TAKE IT DOWN.