An app that encouraged users to “get in on the action, join the party”, despite the pandemic, has apparently been removed from most corners of the Internet.
Vybe Together, which called itself a way to “find your Vybe” in “underground bars, jam sessions or beer pong”, seemed to host secret parties for guests only, according to an archived version of a now-removed site. The excluded FAQ page said the platform was created to hold smaller meetings rather than large parties, The Verge reported.
The application’s domain was registered this year, according to Business Insider, but received more widespread criticism on Tuesday after New York Times technology reporter Taylor Lorenz tweeted about this.
Lorenz’s tweet shared screenshots of the app, and in subsequent tweets, she shared a TikTok from Vybe Together’s TikTok account, which featured the app promoting a New Year’s party.
“We are a secret party app that meets every weekend,” says the text written in the video about the New Year’s party. The video stated that the party would be invite-only and would take place in New York City.
In New York, internal and external meetings are limited to a maximum of 10 people, according to the state’s website.
The Vybe Together account has already been removed from TikTok, a TikTok spokesman told NBC News via email. The spokesman said the account was removed for violating community guidelines and said it did not advertise on the platform.
The application has also been removed from the Apple App Store. The application had not been made available on Google Play, Google’s version for the App Store.
NBC News contacted Alexander Dimcevski, who is allegedly a co-founder of the app, for comment.
Dimcevski told Business Insider that the app had not yet thrown big parties and that its TikTok was over-marketing.
“We do not tolerate large, insecure parties during a pandemic,” Dimcevski told Business Insider.
On Wednesday afternoon, it appeared that Dimcevski had deleted or disabled his LinkedIn account.
Currently, it appears that Vybe Together still exists on Instagram, where the account has approximately 840 followers and has two posts.
“The App Store took us down !!! We will be back !! Follow to stay up to date”, says the description of Vybe Together’s Instagram account.
A text post on Tuesday’s account says: “Local wine nights, beer pong games and dancing in an apartment near you”, with the caption: “Let’s go back !!!”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise that “the safest way to celebrate the new year is to celebrate at home with people who live with you or virtually with friends and family.”
