MakeApp

Submission 38,300

About

MakeApp is free mobile application which can add, alter or remove makeup from a subject's face in user-uploaded photographs and videos. In mid-November 2017, the app was met with a backlash online from those who accused the creator of promoting misogyny.

History

In May 2017, the MakeApp application was released on the iPhone App Store.^[1] In July, the application was updated with a makeup removal function. On October 24th, MakeApp founder Ashot Gabrelyanov posted a video of actress Angelina Jolie processed with MakeApp (shown below).

On October 26th, Gabrelyanov announced on ProductHunt^[8] that a previous version of the application went "viral in Asia," gathering upwards of 700,000 users within four months.

Reception

On November 13th, Business Insider^[11] published an article accusing Gabrelyanov of being a "pro-Russia propagandist" for previously running the Russian news site LifeNews.

On November 14th, BuzzFeed^[6] published an article about the application, which included a statement from Gabrelyanov regarding the online outrage directed toward the app:

"We built MakeApp as an experiment and released it into the wild a few months ago and unfortunately the media coverage solely focused on the makeup removal function of the app and characterized it as a bunch of 'tech bros' trying to hurt women, which is just so far from the truth."

That day, the blog InformationLiberation published a compilation of celebrity photographs run through the application titled "'Problematic' Makeup Removing App 'MakeApp' Causes Mass Triggering."

Meanwhile, the fashion news blog Elle^[5] published an article erroneously identifying Gabrelyanov as being "responsible" for the mobile application FaceApp. Also on November 14th, Slate^[9] published an article in which they used the application on a photograph of Gabrelyanov (shown below).

On November 15th, The Telegraph published an article titled "MakeApp- the app that strips away make-up- insults the intelligence of men." Shortly after, The Independent^[4] published an article titled "Makeup Removal App Controversy for all the Wrong Reasons." Meanwhile, a "MakeApp thread" was submitted to 4chan's /tv/ board,^[10] where users submitted various photographs of celebrities processed through the app (shown below). In less than 24 hours, the thread gathered more than 390 responses.