A new mobile app is on the rise for people who wish to avoid certain individuals, especially former lovers. CNN said Cloak, a free iPhone app, allows people to be virtually incognito by utilizing location check-ins from Instagram and Foursquare accounts of people in phonebooks. Although this requires keeping your exes' or undesirables' mobile numbers, creators Brian Moore and Chris Baker said that's the only thing that you have a reminder of.
Moore said the creation of the app was inspired by unplanned encounters with his former girlfriend. Telling CNN, Baker said that the idea behind the app gives power to mobile users who wish to shut themselves out, from social media at least.
"We feel like we've reached the point of social fatigue -- too many networks with too much information, all the time. It's OK to turn off and pick up a copy of 'Walden' and just be alone. Social has had its moment in the sun. Now people are beginning to revolt," Baker said.
Referring to another messaging app's exclusivity, Moore chimed in and said, "Twitter and Facebook ... are like giant auditoriums where we put on 'public performances.' And those have grown exhausting. That's why Snapchat felt so refreshing."
See how the app works in this YouTube video courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.
CNN said the creators have tapped the issue of oversharing in social media and have turned it into something useful for people who simply wanted to go incognito. On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal said the app has yet to make users virtually invisible, as the app can only check data from Instagram and Foursquare. Mobile users will not be able to use the app when avoiding people who use Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or something else.
On the other hand, CNN said that all mobile users could get off the grid easily without Cloak. Because of Cloak's limited scope, users could simply lock down their privacy settings and avoid sharing details that hint about their whereabouts.