Gas (app)

Gas (sometimes stylized in all caps), formerly known as Melt as well as Crush,[1] is an American anonymous social media app. Launched in August 2022, the app is oriented towards high schoolers.[2] The app was developed by Nikita Bier, Isaiah Turner, and former Facebook engineer Dave Schatz.[3]

Gas
Other namesGas App, Melt (former), Crush (former)
Original author(s)Nikita Bier, Isaiah Turner, Dave Schatz, Michael Gutierrez
Developer(s)Discord Inc.
Initial releaseAugust 29, 2022
Final release
1.6.5 / December 7, 2022
Operating systemiOS
Predecessortbh
Size105.6 MB (iOS)
Available inEnglish

Gas was largely based upon the prior tbh app developed by co-founder Nikita Bier, along with Erik Hazzard, Kyle Zaragoza, and Nicolas Ducdodon in September 2017.[4] tbh was acquired by Facebook inc. (now Meta Platforms) on October 16, 2017,[5] and nearly a year later in July 2018 was dissolved, owing to low usage.[6]

Gas follows a similar purpose to tbh in being a social media app oriented towards high schoolers. In the app, users participate in anonymous polls regarding pre-written complimentary statements to their peers, such as "I'd say yes if (blank) asked me out on a date," "I think (blank) is the coolest kid in school," or "would make an ugly face and still look pretty."[7] Winners of said polls receive a "flame." The name of the app is derived from this, with "gassing someone up" being Gen Z slang for complimenting someone. Users can pay a $6.99 subscription that enables "God Mode," which shows hints regarding who voted for them in a poll.[3]

Gas overtook TikTok and BeReal as the most downloaded app on the Apple App Store in October 2022[3] (the app is currently not available for Android). The app has over 5.1 million downloads as of early November 2022,[1] over a million active users and 300 thousand daily downloads as of October 2022. Currently, the app is available in Canada and the majority of the United States.

On January 17, 2023, Gas was acquired by Discord, however it will remain as a standalone app and the developers of Gas will become Discord staff.[8][9]

On October 18, 2023, Gas was shut down by Discord.[10]

Controversy regarding human-trafficking

Beginning in October 2022, rumors spread largely throughout TikTok and Snapchat alleged that the app was linked to human trafficking (in particular sex trafficking).[3] According to Bier, the rumor originated with a single user review from China on October 5,[1] and then was disseminated through TikTok accounts with "few to no US teen followers."[4]

Although largely dismissed as a hoax by experts, who cite how the app doesn't log user locations and general anonymity, the hoax became pervasive to the extent that various police departments, school systems, and local news outlets began issuing warnings regarding the app. For instance, on October 31, 2022, the police department of Piedmont, Oklahoma issued a warning to parents, encouraging them to check their children's phones, while on November 3, the Oklahoma Oktaha Public School system stated in a Facebook post that "Children are being kidnapped in other towns and this new app is thought to be the source of predators finding their location." (both statements have since been retracted by Police Chief Scott Singer and Superintendent Jerry Needham respectively). Additionally, local medial outlets such as KOCO in Oklahoma City ran stories making similar statements.[1]

The rumor had a negative impact on the app, with downloads plateauing for a two-week period in late October and with 3% of users in a single day reportedly uninstalling the app. Revenue and ratings have also reportedly dropped and the company's social media accounts have been bombarded with comments labeling them as sex-traffickers. Additionally, the four-person development team has reportedly been bombarded with various death threats as a result.[1]

See also

References
  1. Lorenz, Taylor (November 9, 2022). "How a viral teen app became the center of a sex trafficking hoax". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  2. Billingsley, Kristen (November 16, 2022). "Is Gas App Anonymous? How 'God Mode' Can Reveal Your Identity". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  3. Towey, Hannah. "A new social media app for high schoolers has dethroned TikTok and BeReal in the App Store rankings — and is surprisingly not toxic". Business Insider. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  4. "A Former Facebook Manager Started America's Top New App". Bloomberg. October 21, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  5. O'Brien, Sara Ashley (October 16, 2017). "Facebook acquires beloved teen app 'tbh'". CNNMoney. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  6. "Facebook shuts down tbh and other apps over 'low usage'". Engadget. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  7. "Teens love the anonymous new Gas app: Here's what parents should know". TODAY.com. January 10, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  8. "Welcoming Gas to Discord".
  9. Warren, Tom (January 17, 2023). "Discord acquires Gas, the popular app for teens to compliment each other". The Verge. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  10. "Discord Shutters Gas, Making It Two in a Row for Gas Founder". The Information. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
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