Apple removes app that allowed teens to hide photos behind a real calculator

Apple has yanked the Private Photos (Calculator%) app from the App Store. The app allowed users to hide secret photos behind a real functioning calculator, which made it a favorite among enterprising teenagers. U.K. police say that Private Photos (Calculator%) figures in a current investigation, and child welfare groups spoke out against it. The earliest complaint about the app dates back to 2015 when U.S. district attorney Pamela Casey warned parents about it on her Facebook page.

Experts on digital safety ripped Private Photos (Calculator%), placing it on a danger list aimed at parents. And the app topped the list of "10 Apps Teens are Using that Parents Need to Know," that was compiled by internet blogger App-solutely April. The other 9 apps that she suggests that parent acquaint themselves with include some pretty popular titles like Instagram and Snapchat. The list includes:

• Calculator%, which looks like a calculator, but is more of a secret photo vault.
• Omegle, a free online chat site.
• Snapchat, one of the most popular messaging apps among teens.
• Whisper, an app that promotes sharing secrets and meeting new people.
• Ask.fm, an Q&A type of app often linked to cyberbullying.
• Hot or Not, where strangers rate your profile.
• Burn Book, an app for people to post anonymous rumors.
• Wishbone, which allows users to compare kids against each other.
• Kik, a messaging app that includes content that would be filtered on a home computer.
• Instagram, a photo-sharing app where many teens are creating fake profiles.

With the Private Photos (Calculator%) app, users entered a four-digit code to unlock the hidden pictures. While the app is not found anymore in the App Store, it never was available in the Google Play Store; however, there are other titles that Android users can download that do the same thing.

source: BusinessInsider,  App-solutelyApril, SmartSocial via KMOV