Youtuber MKBHD will fix “excessive data disclosures” on his app after backlash
Marques Brownlee’s latest attempt to profit from his online persona hasn’t gotten off to a great start.
Youtube screenshot.
Marques Brownlee’s latest attempt to profit from his online persona hasn’t gotten off to a great start.
Popular tech reviewer Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, announced his new Wallpaper app during a video review of the iPhone 16 on Tuesday.
“You guys have always been asking me where I get my wallpapers. It’s frequently the number one suggested search result [on Google ] under my name, has been for years, so now we’ve put them all in one place. It’s called Panels,” he said in a video introduction.
However, users in the YouTube comment section and on X were quick to criticize the app's pricing and data collection.
Many pointed out that the app uses too many unnecessary permissions. For example, it asks for location and wants to track users’ activity across other websites and apps.
In a post on X, Brownlee said that his team's first task will be to “fix the excessive data disclosures.”
“The data disclosures are likely too broad, and largely driven by what the ad networks suggest,” he said.
The biggest criticism, though, was directed toward the app's pricing. The premium version of Panels costs $11 a month or $50 a year, similar to a Netflix subscription fee.
Some mocked Brownlee for the app, saying that if he reviewed someone’s else $50 wallpaper app, he would be harsh and criticize it.
You are lucky actually. There is a guy named Marques Brownlee who is pretty harsh on these kinds of tech products. Please don't send this app to him for review purposes.
undefined Nitin Raj (@MrPerfectTech) September 24, 2024
Regarding the pricing, Brownlee said it’s his team’s “personal challenge to deliver that kind of value for the premium version.”
Part of building in public is getting mass feedback immediately, which is pretty dope. Almost exactly like publishing a YouTube video
undefined Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) September 24, 2024
First thing we're doing is fixing the excessive data disclosures, as people rightfully brought up. For transparency, we'd never actually ask for…
The app, available for both the iOS and Android platforms, was number one in the Photo and Video apps section on iOS on Wednesday.
After downloading Panels and declining/accepting app permissions, users are asked to pick five wallpaper creators. They then receive wallpaper recommendations.
If users want to download one, they can either watch a commercial and download a wallpaper with a standard definition or pay the Premium fee and download unlimited wallpapers with a higher definition.
Artists’ names are found under the wallpapers, and, according to the Youtuber, the profit is split with them.
The Wallpapers app isn’t MKBHD’s first attempt to earn money from his name. Previously, Brownlee launched sneakers with shoe manufacturer Atoms and a wallet with wallet and accessories manufacturer Ridge featuring his name on it.