A controversial iPhone app that promised to link composite social butterflies to the nearest pandemic party was banned by Apple – but only after a reporter tweeted about it.
Vybe Together, whose slogan is ‘Get your party on, Get your rebel on’, was removed from the iOS App Store this week, reports The Verge.
‘Does it miss playing beer pong, flirting with strangers and usually just waving with the crew? Vybe is here for you, ”reads the app’s website.
The app remained largely under the radar for most of its life until New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz tweeted about it. A day later, the app was gone.
Health experts have warned against large indoor gatherings as cases of the deadly coronavirus have risen in the winter months.
It’s unclear when the party app was approved by Apple, but with only 25 reviews, it appears to be relatively new. Apple says it is conducting a thorough review of the applications in its store, including ‘more than 500 dedicated experts around the world’.
The company Cupertino, California, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Vybe worked by allowing hosts to post events they hosted, which users could then request to attend. Gatherings of more than a few people have been illegal in much of the country since the coronavirus first began closing in the United States in March.
Vybe’s Instagram page, which had only 804 followers as of Wednesday morning, had an updated description confirming that the “App Store has brought us down !!!” and promises that “We will be back !!”