Apple banned a controversial app for the iPhone that promised to connect cooperating social butterflies with the party closest to the pandemic, but only after a journalist tweeted about it.
Vybe Together, whose slogan is “Party, Rebel,” has been removed from the iOS App Store this week, according to The Verge.
“The young lady playing beer pong, flirting with strangers and generally just having fun with the crew? Vybe is here for you, ”says the app’s website.
The app has remained largely under the radar for most of its life until New York Times journalist Taylor Lorenz tweeted about it. A day later, the app was gone.
Health experts have warned against large indoor gatherings, as fatal coronavirus cases have increased until the winter months.
It’s unclear when Apple approved the game’s app, but with only 25 reviews it seemed relatively new. Apple says it conducts a thorough review of apps in its store, including “more than 500 dedicated experts around the world.”
The Cupertino, California company did not immediately return any requests for comment.
Vybe worked by allowing hosts to post about events they were organizing, to which users could request assistance. Meetings of more than a few people have been illegal in much of the country since the coronavirus began shutting down the U.S. in March.
Vybe’s Instagram page, which had 804 followers as of Wednesday morning, had an updated description that confirmed that the “App Store took us !!!” and I promised “We’ll be back !!”