Critics claim that the chat app – which allowed people to communicate with other users entirely anonymously – was being used by bullies and encouraged people to send each other abuse. The app has been famous for months and has been criticised for almost as long, along with other similar services like Curious Cat and Ask FM.
It had been described as a "breeding ground for hate" soon after it took off, with many users warning over summer that it was endangering its users.
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The app was banned after a viral petition set up by Katrina Collins. She said that the app was being used to send horrifying, anonymous messages to her daughter – telling her to kill herself and using other abusive language – and that it should be shut down.
"Both the App Store and Google Play have policies against apps that facilitate bullying, harassment or self harm," the petition read. "Why then is Sarahah still available on these platforms?"
More than 450,000 people signed that petition, many sharing stories of their own abuse on the platform.
Now both Apple and Google have removed it from their app stores, apparently in response to the backlash represented by the petition.
Sarahah leaving the app stores doesn't mean that it will be taken off people's phones. It will just mean that people can't buy it, drastically limiting the spread of the app.
Google has given a response to the petition, while claiming that it doesn't actually comment on specific apps.
"While we don’t comment on specific apps, our Google Play policies are designed to provide a great experience for users," it said. "We always do our best to work closely with developers to ensure they're in compliance with our policies."
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