Another haven for cyberbullying is gone. The app After School we reported on yesterday is no longer available in the Apple App Store. It’s unclear at this time if it was pulled by Apple or taken down by the publisher.
Apple is investigating the removal of the app and the app publisher has not responded to multiple requests for comment from TechCrunch. We noticed that the app was no longer available around 7:00 EDT today.
After an unceremonious launch in October, the anonymous posting app After School quickly gained notoriety for cyberbullying among high school students. For some reason, the app took off in Michigan where it led to metro Detroit school districts warning parents about the app along with countless reports of issues reminiscent of when Yik Yak was used in high schools.
Just yesterday a school shooting threat posted on the app resulted in a heightened level of security and an FBI investigation in one Michigan school.
The app was designed to be a Whisper-type app for schools but unlike Yik Yak After School did not have a 17+ user rating, making it much harder for parents to prevent their child from downloading it. It allowed users to post anonymous messages viewable by just those who attend the same school. Like Yik Yak and ask.fm before it, high school students were reportedly using After School to anonymously bully, aggravate and threaten others. One Michigan community took to Twitter with the hashtag #clarkstontakesastand to encourage other people to delete the app.
Sadly, the app is still functional at the time of writing. The app’s publisher has not responded to multiple requests for comment from TechCrunch. The app utilizes a server-side element so in theory it can stop working, but the publisher will need to shut it down.
More as we get it.
