Tech

‘Get Your Rebel On’: App That Organizes Massive, Underground Parties Gets Targeted By Tech Companies

Screenshot/Video/TikTok/TaylorLorenz

Marlo Safi Culture Reporter
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An app, called Vybe Together, that facilitates the organization of private, secret parties has been purged from the Apple App Store and banned from TikTok after being criticized for enabling indoor gatherings during a pandemic, numerous sources reported.

Vybe Together scrubbed most of its online presence, but encouraged users to “Get your rebel on. Get your party on,” and “have a good time with people in your area” by finding “speakeasies, jam sessions, or beer pong” through their app. 

“Miss playing beer pong, flirting with strangers, and generally just having a blast with the crew? Vybe is here for you,” the website said, featuring images of maskless individuals dancing and standing on beer kegs. 

A Vybe Together video promoting the underground gatherings was viewed nearly 11,000 times on TikTok before the app banned the account for violating community standards, according to Business Insider. New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz called attention to the app, adding that “some terrible people built a whole app for finding and promoting COVID-unsafe large, indoor house parties” and TikTok was used to market the service, which included “secret NYE ragers in nyc.” (RELATED: Police Recover Child Sex Trafficking Victim At ‘Superspreader’ Underground Party)

The app allows individuals to create private events which people can apply to attend, and Vybe Together also screens applicants. The event manager has to approve the applicants, and an address isn’t shown until 2 hours prior to the event. “No randoms will show up,” the website said.

Vybe Together told Business Insider that it removes large or popular gatherings if app moderators come across them, and denied promoting such events. 

“A lot of people have been isolated and lonely and we wanted to enable them to meet. We are aware that large gatherings are not okay and we do not promote them. If we see events are popular we take them off!”

Its since-scrubbed FAQ page also recognized that COVID-19 was “a major health problem” and that large gatherings are “dangerous.” It affirms that the app is designed for “small gatherings,” which allows for a “compromise” to continue “living, at least a little during these times with Vybe.”

Vybe Together’s Instagram account says “App Store took us down!!! We will be back!!”

Vybe Together did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. 

Authorities in New York City have broken up multiple large, illegal gatherings during a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country. Roughly 400 people at an illegal club in Manhattan were busted in late November, and four organizers were arrested for holding large gatherings against both city and state orders and for serving liquor without a license. Days prior, two separate parties of 76 people and 200 people respectively were broken up.