Anonymous social network Secret is shutting down, the company's co-founder and CEO David Byttow said today.
And the reasons appear to be exactly what you'd predict of an online space where people can say whatever they want with no consequences: in essence, people suck.
"Unfortunately, Secret does not represent the vision I had when starting the company, so I believe it's the right decision for myself, our investors and our team," Byttow wrote in a post on Medium.
"I believe in honest, open communication and creative expression, and anonymity is a great device to achieve it," he continued. "But it's also the ultimate double-edged sword, which must be wielded with great respect and care."
Well no kidding. Secret was a platform built on ideals - ideals that apparently couldn't stand up when it came down to actually giving every single person on the internet an anonymous podium.
Plus, it seems usage has plummeted recently, as TechCrunch points out. That might have something to do with it too.
Byttow wrote that he "look[s] forward to seeing what others in this space do over time," and that for now he'll be refunding investors rather than trying to use their money to "pivot" into something else.
Secret will gradually wind down over the next couple of weeks, so in the meantime you'd better get all that crap that's too hateful to say on Twitter out of your system now. You know, or just use Yik Yak instead.
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