Ugly Meter iPhone App Raises Cyberbullying Concerns (PICTURES)

*Scroll down for screenshots.*

The Ugly Meter, an iOS application available for 99 cents, is causing quite a stir this week. The app, which rates one's facial features based on proportionality, scores faces from 1 to 10 and delivers a snappy quip about the face's "ugliness." The higher the score, the uglier the face--in theory, at least.

Dapper Gentlemen, the creator of the app, seems to have taken liberties with the rating system. For example, the Daily Mail scanned a photo of Brad Pitt and watched as the Hollywood hunk scored an 8 out of 10 on the Ugly Meter. According to the app, Brad Pitt "could walk through a haunted house and come out with a paycheck."

Joshua Rhett Miller, writing for FoxNews.com, explains the concerns that this app raises:

While the app's creators say they're just having some fun, some critics say the software can be malicious in the wrong hands. It's "right on the borderline" of appropriate and inappropriate, said Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Washington-based Family Online Safety Institute.

"I can see that the guys who programmed it were having a bit of fun and all," Balkam said. "If you're 25, 26 or 28, this sort of thing could be quite funny or amusing. But in the hands of a 14- or 15-year-old, it could be quite the reverse, and particularly if someone is submitting someone else's photograph and then circulated that photo around school."

Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe, author of "Cybersafe: Protecting and Empowering Kids in the Digital World of Texting, Gaming and Social Media," went a step further in her critique, recommending that Apple remove the Ugly Meter from its iTunes app store. "There's a fine line between teasing and razzing one another," O'Keeffe told FoxNews.com. "[This app] is just hurtful. It could have crushing blows on kids with low self-esteem. There's just nothing good that could come from an app like this."

Nevertheless, the Ugly Meter app is still available from iTunes. Do you think Apple should ban the app? View screenshots (below) to see how "ugliness" is rated, and shared your thoughts in the comments below. Then check out our slideshow of the most outrageous apps banned by Apple (here).

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Comments

[EricBishop]

04:33 PM on 10/22/2010

Do ugly people have feelings?

[jk1865]

08:51 PM on 10/22/2010

You tell me.

[EricBishop]

09:05 PM on 10/23/2010

I meant aesthetically/physically unattractive. People who are ugly inside do have feelings...we feel hot and cold.

[TheLorax]

01:45 PM on 10/22/2010

I don't need an app to tell me I'm ugly; my mirror already does!

[LinAus]

12:40 PM on 10/22/2010

Well, this is one sneeky way to sell a bunch of these apps.

[tobynsaunders]

09:46 AM on 10/22/2010

I find the science of beauty deeply stimulating, but this app isn't very scientific & isn't very moral... that's like totally bad & stuff.

[RedBirdy]

08:56 PM on 10/21/2010

Oh, good Lord. Should it be banned? No. Is it dumb as ****, yes. If you're able to see, I'm not sure what the purpose of the app is... 2nd opinion?

The person using the app to hurt or bully someone is the issue, not the app itself.

[iotagamma]

01:38 PM on 10/21/2010

An app that measures ugliness? I thought it would take years to develop the same technology I already have, its called my eyes.

Honestly, banning this app will actually intrigue me more than it does now. Normally I shallowly measure ugliness the old fashion way; judge a person, and run away. No app for that yet. Nevertheless, if you are really determined to eliminate cyberbullying, tell your kids to cut the crap, and become better parents.

[kintarius]

12:46 PM on 10/21/2010

I don't see how you can ban this app. While I'm completely against bullying, you can't just ban something because it could theoretically allow someone will use it to hurt another's feelings. When we start going down that road, we start giving away our rights as Americans and allowing companies to determine what is right for us and what is wrong for us. Then we're at "you can't eat sugar because it might make you chubby" and "you can't watch that movie because it might make you violent" and "you have to watch FOX news because it's the only reputable news source".

[turboturd]

05:35 PM on 10/20/2010

The kids pre-tech age would circulate pictures with catch phrases and insults on them. Its what kids will do regardless of a piece of software.

[anfractuous]

01:12 PM on 10/20/2010

Soon we will all be rated in numerous categories by unchallangeable algorithms and malicious individuals, with our ratings instantly visible to all and any. What a wonderful world.

[ThaGovna]

12:48 PM on 10/20/2010

Our brains already do this faster than the fastest computer on the planet. No app needed.

I think the folks who want it banned are right though. In the hands of a teen (we all know what being a teen is like) it could do some harm. That said... I don't think it should be banned.

I'm not a fan of trying to kid proof the world unless there is a clear threat. Besides that, it's my job to help my son stay on track and out of trouble. As it should be.

[Craigy6]

11:43 AM on 10/20/2010

Sigh. Maybe the problem is the 14 or 15 year olds having iPhones in school.

[ie]

05:26 PM on 10/20/2010

I agree--for the most part. The problem is, some folks are wisely giving their kids phones so they can track them if they disappear. Might prevent a custodial fight kidnapping. Tough choice.

[Sideblinded]

03:17 AM on 10/22/2010

My kid (middle school) has the most boring phone on the planet. No internet, but he can call us when needed.

Solved.

[StephBr]

11:35 PM on 11/27/2010

My kid (high school) has the same $15 phone :-)