Tech blogger Marcus Brownlee, or MKBHD, has launched a wallpaper app called Panels on iOS and Android. The app has a fairly high premium price and has been criticized by users, in particular because of the aggressive imposition of a paid subscription.
Brownlee has 19.5 million subscribers on YouTube and is undoubtedly an influential blogger. His reviews can create tangible risks or benefits for tech companies. So when he announced the launch of his own app on smartphones, many users were intrigued by the news.
But when Panels became available, it turned out that there was no point in using the free version because of the poor quality of the wallpaper and the large number of ads. The paid version costs $12 per month, or $50 per year.
In addition, the necessary permissions to track the user's location, usage data and personal identifiers in other applications and websites were of particular concern.
"The big mistake @MKBHD made was releasing a $50/year wallpaper app filled with ads and low-resolution images that tracks your location," developer Mike Randle writes in X.
Marcus Brownlee quickly responded to the criticism and said that requests to monitor user activity were a bug and the app would be fixed.
"First thing we're doing is fixing the excessive data disclosures, as people rightfully brought up. For transparency, we'd never actually ask for your location, internet history, etc. The data disclosures (that everyone is screenshotting) is likely too broad, and largely driven by what the ad networks suggest. Working to fix that ASAP," Brownlee writes on X. "As far as pricing, I hear you! It's our own personal challenge to work to deliver that kind of value for the premium version. (Weekly Friday drops are already starting) I'll also be dialing back ad frequency for the free experience."