World's Creepiest iPhone App Pulled After Outcry

Hugh Pickens writes "Ben Grubb reports that an iPhone app that essentially allowed users to stalk women nearby using a location-based social networking service has been pulled from the iTunes app store by its developer after an outcry of criticism including a comment by Gizmodo labelling the 'Girls Around Me' app as the 'world's creepiest' app and a comment in The New York Times Bits blog, which said it 'definitely' won the prize for being 'too creepy'. The 'Girls Around Me' app utilized publicly available data to show a map with women who had checked-in to locations nearby using Foursquare and let users view Facebook information of those ladies if they had tied their Facebook account to their Foursquare account and if their Facebook account privacy settings were lax enough to allow any user to access it. The promotional website used for marketing the app states that the service 'helps you see where nearby girls are checking in, and shows you what they look like and how to get in touch, adding 'In the mood for love, or just after a one-night stand? Girls Around Me puts you in control! Reveal the hottest nightspots, who's in them, and how to reach them.' Foursquare yanked the Girls Around Me app's access to its data, which in turn led to the app's developer removing it from iTunes as it didn't work properly. In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, the company behind the app defended its creation: 'Since the app's launch till last Friday nobody ever raised a privacy concern because, again, it is clearly stated that Girls Around Me cannot show the user more data than [what Foursqure or Facebook] already does.'"

Comments

Re:Good intentions pave the road to a stalking cha

[BronsCon]

AMEN!

I have no problem whatsoever respecting a woman who respects herself enough to not put herself on display, similarly to how I have no problem not peeking through someone's blinds. But, ladies, just like I might catch a glimpse of your naked ass if you walk in front of your wide-open picture window as I'm walking down the sidewalk in front of your house, whether I wanted to see it or not (PROTIP: I probably didn't want to see it), I'm probably gonna see your tits and ass if they're hanging out of your clothes.

I guess what I'm trying to say is if you want respect, dress and act like a respectable adult. If you want to dress like a slutty Barbie doll and act like a highschool student, excpect to be played with like a Barbie doll and taught a lesson like a student.

That said, I've never been the type to play with people like that, or "teach them a lesson", but there is no denying that there are people out there who do these things. If you don't want to fall victim to it, don't dress and act in ways that invite it. If you can't get that through your head and adjust your lifestyle accordingly, for your own betterment, then I'm sorry to say you get what you deserve.