:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63704551/110211-janet-jackson-justin-timberlake-jw_20111102153648813_660_320.0.1467739467.0.jpg)
David Byttow, the co-founder of the new semi-anonymous sharing mobile app Secret, suggested things aren’t exactly that secret on the site — and that people who post snarky Secrets better watch out.
“If we could do it again … we’d move away from the word anonymous,” he said in an interview with TechCrunch reporter Josh Constine at South By Southwest today. “Anonymous literally means without a name. Anonymous doesn’t mean untraceable.”
Since it was launched 39 days ago, the Secret app, which circulates blind items around social networks, has been a mix of heartfelt confessions, Silicon Valley gossip and very pointed digs at certain characters, such as Path founder Dave Morin.
Byttow said that extremely negative posts are starting to be “quarantined,” either by fellow users who flag the post or by Secret staff. Posts given such treatment are visible to the writer and no one else, and won’t get likes and comments from the community.
The author will feel, said Byttow, “like they’re posting to an echo chamber and they’ll either stop or their behavior will change.”
Constine asked if they’re developing a policy around lewd content.
“Yeah we take that down,” answered Byttow. “But of course there’s always a gray area.”
“Half a nipple?” Constine asked.
“It needs to be tasteful,” Byttow retorted.
Alrighty then, nipple issue settled — every Hollywood celebrity can now relax.
Byttow also announced a special SXSW site, with a live feed of the most popular posts in Austin. One of the first posts was, “I want a conference hookup at #sxsw so I don’t feel so alone when traveling for work.”
Which sounds like someone who wouldn’t mind being tracked down.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
