Controversial smartphone app Secret is illegal, at least in Brazil. A major court has ruled that the use and operation of the Secret app in its country infringes on the law. Ordering Apple and Google 10 days to remove the app from the play store.
Not only this after this period if Apple nor Google do not comply the will receive a fine of 20,000 Reals (almost $9,000 or £5,400) for every day it remains available. They also ruled that the app be removed from all phones registered for use in the country.
Secret Bullying
Several users have reported being openly bullied by users on the app, all done without the opportunity to discover the source. One user taking issue with ‘an intimate photo’ of him that was shared by a user. Along with his name, address and phone number. Clearly an unacceptable situation to be in.
Judge Paulo Cesar de Carcalho has issued a preliminary injunction against the application. Ruling that the way the app functions contravenes Brazilian law. The crux of the issue it that Secret shares gossip and information anonymously between friends. This has however been abused by people sharing inaccurate and sometimes libellous claims. The Brazilian constitution means anonymous attacks where the subject of the claims cannot defend themselves are illegal.
App Store Tidy Up
Apple and Google have not answered the ruling as yet, but shouldn’t put up much fight to such an instruction. With removal from their app stores being an easy fix. However Google may struggle to remove the app from user’s phones or stop the app from being loaded from other sources. Apple will have no such issues as the Silicon Valley giant has the ability to kill any app in use.
There will be final ruling on the case in the future, however this will hamper the popularity of the app in the country. With the same ruling made against other similar apps including the Windows Phone version Cryptic which Microsoft also must pull from the app store within 10days.
Do you use Secret? Let us know your experiences in the comments below or on your social media of choice.
[button link=”http://tecnologia.uol.com.br/noticias/redacao/2014/08/19/justica-do-es-determina-remocao-do-aplicativo-secret-de-celulares-e-lojas.htm” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: UL[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
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