The management company of GoalStart (pronounced as Gorusuta) , an app exclusively for middle and high school students, started a controversy when it intentionally posted a former user's personal information in the form of the user's full name on social media. The discussion has become heated since the 25th.
App management company Sprix Co., Ltd. (Toshima, Tokyo) Vice President Tsuneishi Hiroyuki responded to Yomiuri Shimbun's interview on the 26th saying, "This incident was our mistake. It was late at night [1], and our employee got riled up. We sincerely apologize." That employee had posted [2] the full name of a former user, who had criticized GoalStart, on GoalStart's official Twitter account and made threats such as "We'll report you to the police."
The mention in the app's usage agreement of collecting "credit card information" [3] is also being criticized on social media by people questioning whether guardians' credit card numbers are necessary. In response to this point, Tsuneishi acknowledged that the company had been asking for users' credit card information, but that this was in preparation for future paid content, and that "zero people have entered their credit card numbers until now." As of the 26th, that part has been removed from the usage agreement.
Those critical of the administration write "reflection essays"
In the app, accounts found posting words or other content critical of the administration are given the severe punishment of an "AC ban", which suspends the offending accounts. Users can request to have their accounts unfrozen under the condition of submitting a "reflection essay" showing a cooperative attitude. Controversy about this is also brewing on social media.
Users must send an apology such as "I'm sorry for causing trouble" or "I won't do it again" to get their accounts unfrozen. This practice was made clear when users posted these messages on Twitter, leading some critics to suggest the app is going too far. In response to this, Tsuneishi said, "Since we want middle and high school students to be able to use our app safely, we run it like a school, and that is why we do this. Perhaps our judgment is a little too strict. However, we are managing the app with the intention of protecting students."
Besides managing cram schools around central Tokyo, Sprix Co., Ltd. (Toshima, Tokyo) also develops educational businesses. "GoalStart", which was launched in October 2014, got attention for its claim that users could befriend middle and high school students all across the country. Users could not only broadcast their own original programs and easily talk about their problems, but also had access to instructional videos covering all school subjects such as math and English with celebrities and models as "teachers".
