Apple has withdrawn an app created by Andrew Tate after accusations that it encouraged misogyny and could be an illegal pyramid scheme.
Tate created the app, Real World Portal, after the closure of his “Hustler’s University”, which was an online academy for his fans, promising to assist them in making thousands of pounds while helping Tate’s videos on social media, which have been described as misogynistic, to go viral.
McCue Jury & Partners, the firm representing four British women who have accused Tate of sexual and physical assault, claimed that the app deliberately targets young men and encourages misogyny, including members of the app sharing techniques on how to control and exploit women. The firm has also claimed that there is evidence to suggest that the app is an illegal pyramid scheme, with members being charged $49.99 a month to join.
Last week, the Real World Portal app was removed from Google’s Play store after claims that it was an illegal pyramid scheme and encouraged misogyny.
On Friday night Apple also said it had removed it from its app store. It followed a letter from the legal firm asking Apple to consider whether the app was in line with its policies and whether the company was exposing itself to any corporate liability in hosting it on its platform.
Part of the letter, dated 15 September, said: “We are writing because our clients are extremely concerned that you are hosting Tate’s Real World Portal (RWP) mobile application on your Apple Store … In continuing to host RWP, not only is Apple potentially indirectly financing Tate’s alleged criminal activities but is aiding the spread of his misogynistic teachings.”
The firm had claimed that Apple was directly profiting from hosting the app, with the company taking 30% in royalties from apps and in-app purchases.
Four women in their late 20s and early 30s are pursuing civil proceedings against Tate over alleged offences between 2013 and 2016 while he was still living in the UK.
Before the news that Apple had withdrawn the app, Matt Jury, the lawyer representing the women, said: “Andrew and [his brother] Tristan Tate manipulate their significant online following to promote subscriptions to Real World Portal. From there, the benefits to users are entirely reliant upon new subscribers joining the platform.
“There is also significant evidence that this scheme is directly targeting boys and teenagers and, in my view, is nothing more than an exploitative app which has no place on Apple’s platform.”
Tate is awaiting trial in Romania on charges of human trafficking. He and Tristan were charged in June, along with two Romanian female suspects, with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The suspects have denied the allegations.
A spokesperson for Andrew Tate said: “We unequivocally deny the allegations that ‘The Real World’ app operates as a pyramid scheme or perpetuates harmful techniques aimed at exploiting any individuals, particularly women. The user community, which includes a significant number of women within the 200,000-strong user base, can attest to the positive impact and educational value the app provides.
“Accusations suggesting otherwise are unfounded, lacking credible evidence, and seem to be part of a targeted campaign against Andrew Tate, a known supporter and promoter of the platform. ‘The Real World’ maintains a commitment to complete transparency, ensuring compliance with all legal and ethical standards. We invite sceptics to examine the app independently and affirm that it operates in accordance with legal and moral requirements.
“The platform is designed as an educational tool that fosters healthy habit formation, financial literacy, and self-discipline, with thousands of lives positively impacted. The decision by Google Play is being appealed.”
Sounds like these guys should be looking at progressive web apps, if their being de-platformed from the app stores, PWAs are the only way to go. App stores cannot block progressive web apps, unless they remove the browser from the phone. So if you have a web browser you can use a PWA
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_web_app
Not to mention it saves on development time, you just build a good progressive web app and it works on all platforms.
For people who don't have experience with progressive web apps, Voyager the Lemmy client is a progressive web app. You visit it in a browser, and you can install the app locally from the browser itself. So the app runs in the browser locally. They're pretty cool.
Why would you support / advise these fukn ahats?
I didn't care about deplatforming until Elon banned me on Twitter for dunking on him
Can't say I'm surprised, he can be a reactionary douche.
I don't support them at all. I don't believe in their cause. I don't believe in their messaging.
Philosophically I'm against all de-platforming, and I'm pointing out that if you want to prevent yourself from being deplatformed, you have to liberate yourself from app stores which have strong opinions.
So I will provide deplatforming advice to anyone, for any reason, because I believe everyone should have a voice.
On a practical level, it's the detestable people who demonstrate de-platforming the most often, so we get practical examples with the evil people. Today it's the misogynistic sociopaths, but tomorrow it could be de-platforming of end-to-end encryption in the UK and removal from all the app stores. My comments would remain just as relevant.
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Whilst I understand your point Iggy/miles sonkin the defacto leader is on record of saying the following when talking of treatment of women:
Let's not kid ourselves this is Pavlovian conditioning!
I can't see why anyone would allow them to retain access to anyplatform.
Looks like a cult, acts like a cult, it is a cult!
so you’d be the person to give the nazis a platform
"I'm not saying they deserve a platform, they deserve a web app" - jet the absolute doofus
Exactly, both sides should be heard.
One sides says that women should be able live without being in constant fear of assault and harassment, and the other says that women are pieces of meat , to be used and thrown away.
Both have equal merit, and should definitely be in public discourse.
The huge problem with everyone shifting from Reddit is there is the echo chamber and hive mind is going to build back up with it. Most people can't seem to be nuanced enough to appreciate your comment because they're seething so much over who the subject is. Liberty is deserved amongst all, not just those you agree with.
You know what? I am fine with a hive mind that collectively decided nazis should be punched and andrew human trafficker tate should be deplatformed.
Sounds like you're on par with the nazis yourself there buddy. Keep advocating violence and censorship 🤌
Fuck off with that "antifascists are the real nazis" shit.
Lol way to rebuttal yourself. Truth is, you're no different. But hey, I’m an ancapper, I must be fucked up for thinking every individual has the same rights. 🙄
Also, legitimate question here…what has Andrew Tate factually done that makes him a Nazi and/or fascist?
How rich comming from someone that doesnt even understand how bullshit ancap is as an ideology.
Also, no one was claiming this piece of shit is a nazi or a fascist.
How about you iluminate us on how the fuck is someone that hates fascists an actual fascist?
Appreciate your post. I find it incredibly ironic too, because the fediverse, and Lemmy specifically are open platforms designed exactly against deplatforming as well.
We are all communicating on the platform designed exactly for this scenario. I appreciate that people are going to react and have their own strong opinions, but we're standing on the foundation of freedom that extends to everyone.
The fediverse (Lemmy included) deplatforms people all the time; it’s called defederation and it’s built into the core of the architecture.
Even platforms built on openness, such as Lemmy, understand the need to not provide a platform to violence, bigotry, and exploitation.
In the sense that an organization can run their own Lemmy instance, even if other people don't connect to that instance. It censorship resistance. An isolated let me instance still works. They have their platform.
Just like IP routing can survive many routers being destroyed, Lemmy can survive many people disagreeing with each other. That's what I mean by open, censorship proof, deep platform proof.
People defederating from each other is a feature, and I totally agree with it.
You're being reasonable. That doesn't fly here my friend.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
Evelyn Beatrice Hall, 1906
Should the service providers that host PWAs and their databases be forced to serve them if their content violates their policies?
No, as private companies they can have AUPs.
But if you view internet service providers, as common carriers, i.e. telecommunition utilities - then yes they should be forced to, unless it's illegal.
But let's say the unpopular app is self hosting its own website, serving its own PWA from its own servers, as long as there isn't a court order, I don't think utilities should shut them down.
Forced to how exactly? This isn't forcing a company to provide water for an individual, this is forcing a company to provide non-essential services to a business.
Can the provider raise prices? Can they change their contract? Are they forced to provide these services in perpetuity?
Oh, that would be great actually, I hope they do that.
That way, they'll get doxed within 5.2 seconds of the app going live and everybody will know the people on the app.
If you view them as private companies, then they can have opinions and they can't be forced.
If you view them as utilities, like the water company and the power company, then they have to be forced to provide equal services for equal pay to all people.
It's up to you to decide which internet infrastructure counts as utility, there's a lot of debate around that.
I would also like them to self host. I'm not sure they'd get doxed, we know it's Andrew Tate after all, but they would get DDoSed. Plus his fans tend to be the kind of people who tell you they're his fans. And they follow him on social media. They're not exactly hiding
To businesses too? Are water and power companies forced to provide services to any and all businesses?
Well, I assume he's not the only one to participate on his forum or website.
I'm not concerned about the ones that do, I'm concerned about the ones that don't.
But you wouldn't know about the ones hiding, because they would be... hiding.
Public Utilities are required to provide services to the public without discrimination, or personal agenda. That is why they are utilities.
Scenario:
Power company decided it wouldn't power specific religious buildings because they disagree with that faith
Telephone company refuses to install telephone lines to black owned businesses
Trash company refuses to pick up trash of Democrat election office
ISP refuses to provide service to local pro-immigrate human rights group
In all of these scenarios they would be in violation of the public trust. Lawsuits at the very least, and probably changing the utility company with the local monopoly.
What not knowing the paradox of intolerance does to a mfer:
this one ?
Sounds right, what is that comic replying to?
I'll bite: for ideologies that are dangerous, they should be illegal. That would require a public discussion, a law, and a court to identify the perpetrators as breaking the law. Then they get depatformed.
The issue is not tolerating the intolerable, the issue is what is the process for identifying what is intolerable?
My original comment, was about an open internet, progressive web apps enable a more open internet with less non-judicial gatekeepers.
And who should be having that discussion? Faux News?
This fuckwit is not being persecuted by the government. He's being kicked out of Apple's private playground.
I'm not saying Apple shouldn't do that. They're private organization they're free to do as they like.
I brought up progressive web apps to indicate how people can use the internet with less non-judicial gatekeepers
So you want people to access racist, misogynist, and generally hateful stuff? Glad we sorted that out!
It's not what's intolerable, it's what's intolerant. Misogyny is clearly intolerant of women.
Progressive web apps are great, i wish more people use it. 👍
I'm really impressed with crypt.ee and voyager. PWAs really should be the future.
I love the concept of crypt.ee, I just don’t have enough usage to justify the cost. I’m trying out voyager now though! Any other recommendations?
I already listed the two PWAs I use daily.
I don't use it personally, but I'm very impressed with Starbucks. They made their app a PWA!
https://app.starbucks.com/
Tinder, Spotify, Uber, telegram, etc...
PWAs are kind of like a silent revolution, they're sneaking in, they're coming! But it's mostly companies that either believe in open software, have in app purchases and want to save the 30% store cut, or are trying to tap into emerging markets that don't have phones that can support the full fat app so the faster PWA makes sense.
I wish Apple wouldn't restrict them as much as they do.
Just a clear up a lot of the comments below, I will not respond to any Godwin bait. I will respond to every comment I believe is in good faith.