The PostSecret App: Here and Gone
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 1:23PM 
What would cause a company to pull their app from Apple's App Store and postpone the Android release? How about threatening posts and pornographic material? That's exactly why PostSecret removed their $1.99 app from Apple's App Store only three months after it's release. But, what was the PostSecret App and how did things get so out of hand?
What Was the PostSecret App?
The PostSecret App was exactly what it sounded like, an app where people could post secrets. The founder of PostSecret said that 99% of the posts were in good nature and were the type of secrets the app was designed for. However, there were so many posts that even 1% was more than the company could handle. The fact that users could respond to others' submissions was where the problems began.
What Problems Arose From Its Use?
PostSecret App users were not only exposed to pornographic and gruesome material, but some users were threatened. In fact, not only were users threatened, but so were moderators and the family of the founder. The problem material became such an issue that moderators were working 24 hours, 7 days a week to remove the malicious posts. The company eventually began prescreening posts, which totaled 30,000 per day. Still, it was hard to prosecute users when the company's idea is based around secrecy. It all became too much to handle when users began to complain to the founder, Apple and even the FBI. Eventually, the app had to be pulled from the Apple App Store and the release of the Android version was postponed.
What Does the Company Plan to Do?
While the PostSecret App may no longer exist, the company plans to stick around. The company has over 1 million Facebook fan, 460,000 Twitter followers and 500,000 email subscribers. They have also received over 4.1 million unique visitors to the company's blog. Those that enjoy the idea of PostSecret can still visit the company's website/blog at www.postsecret.com.
Was it a good idea for the company to go mobile? Maybe not. However, we have to give the company credit for pulling the app, even though it meant losing a large amount of money. In a world as corrupt as our own, it's hard to believe that no one saw this coming though. When people have the ability to post anonymously, there will always be those that take advantage of that fact.
About the Author: Jan Haberkamp is a health enthusiast who loves researching medical careers on sites like ekgtechniciantraining.net. She is also a huge fan of technology and is fascinated by how it can impact everyday life.
