Candid (app) explained

Candid
Logo Size:100
Author:Bindu Reddy
Discontinued:yes
Operating System:iOS, Android
License:Proprietary software
Website:becandid.com

Candid was a mobile app for anonymous discussions.[1] [2] [3] [4] It used machine learning to create personalized newsfeeds of opinions and real conversations, and also for moderation and filtering. Users posted under pseudonyms such as "HyperMantis", "SincereGiraffe", "GroundedTurtle" and "ExuberantRaptor", that are unique for each thread.

Founder and CEO Bindu Reddy said that she needed "a place to express myself and engage in discussions where ideas can be debated on their own merits instead of being used to attack me as a person", which Candid tried to solve by redirecting off-topic comments to their appropriate groups, removing spam and flagging negative posts. They used natural language processing to identify hate speech, slander and threats, and removed them accordingly with human intervention. Candid software analyzed topics and tried to flag rumors and lies as such.[5] Users could flag problematic posts and a team of ten contractors would review them individually. With time the system analyzed a user's interactions and give them labels, such as socializer, explorer, positive, influencer, hater, gossip, etc.

In June 2017, Candid announced that it would be shut down because its parent company, Post Intelligence, was being acquired. The app was forecast to close on June 23, 2017, but didn't actually close until June 25, 2017.

Notes and References

  1. News: Google vet' new Candid app for anonymous sharing puts trolls in their place. Solsman. Joan E.. 21 July 2016. CNET. 2016-12-14.
  2. Web site: Can Anonymous Apps Succeed and Avoid User Harassment and Abuse?. 2016-07-21. Fortune. 2016-12-14.
  3. Web site: 'Candid,' the anonymous chat app, enforces civility with AI. Tarantola. Andrew. 21 July 2016. Engadget. 2016-12-14.
  4. Web site: Silver. Curtis. Tuesday App Roundup: Find Your Strain With PotBot, Stay Anonymous With Candid, Dubdub Your Video. Forbes. 14 December 2016.
  5. Web site: Kelly. Heather. Candid thinks it can make an anonymous social network that's actually civil. CNNMoney. 14 December 2016. 21 July 2016.