Apple has withdrawn an app created by Andrew Tate after accusations that it encouraged misogyny and could be an illegal pyramid scheme.

Tate created the app, Real World Portal, after the closure of his “Hustler’s University”, which was an online academy for his fans, promising to assist them in making thousands of pounds while helping Tate’s videos on social media, which have been described as misogynistic, to go viral.

McCue Jury & Partners, the firm representing four British women who have accused Tate of sexual and physical assault, claimed that the app deliberately targets young men and encourages misogyny, including members of the app sharing techniques on how to control and exploit women. The firm has also claimed that there is evidence to suggest that the app is an illegal pyramid scheme, with members being charged $49.99 a month to join.

Last week, the Real World Portal app was removed from Google’s Play store after claims that it was an illegal pyramid scheme and encouraged misogyny.

On Friday night Apple also said it had removed it from its app store. It followed a letter from the legal firm asking Apple to consider whether the app was in line with its policies and whether the company was exposing itself to any corporate liability in hosting it on its platform.

Part of the letter, dated 15 September, said: “We are writing because our clients are extremely concerned that you are hosting Tate’s Real World Portal (RWP) mobile application on your Apple Store … In continuing to host RWP, not only is Apple potentially indirectly financing Tate’s alleged criminal activities but is aiding the spread of his misogynistic teachings.”

The firm had claimed that Apple was directly profiting from hosting the app, with the company taking 30% in royalties from apps and in-app purchases.

Four women in their late 20s and early 30s are pursuing civil proceedings against Tate over alleged offences between 2013 and 2016 while he was still living in the UK.

Before the news that Apple had withdrawn the app, Matt Jury, the lawyer representing the women, said: “Andrew and [his brother] Tristan Tate manipulate their significant online following to promote subscriptions to Real World Portal. From there, the benefits to users are entirely reliant upon new subscribers joining the platform.

“There is also significant evidence that this scheme is directly targeting boys and teenagers and, in my view, is nothing more than an exploitative app which has no place on Apple’s platform.”

Tate is awaiting trial in Romania on charges of human trafficking. He and Tristan were charged in June, along with two Romanian female suspects, with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The suspects have denied the allegations.

A spokesperson for Andrew Tate said: “We unequivocally deny the allegations that ‘The Real World’ app operates as a pyramid scheme or perpetuates harmful techniques aimed at exploiting any individuals, particularly women. The user community, which includes a significant number of women within the 200,000-strong user base, can attest to the positive impact and educational value the app provides.

“Accusations suggesting otherwise are unfounded, lacking credible evidence, and seem to be part of a targeted campaign against Andrew Tate, a known supporter and promoter of the platform. ‘The Real World’ maintains a commitment to complete transparency, ensuring compliance with all legal and ethical standards. We invite sceptics to examine the app independently and affirm that it operates in accordance with legal and moral requirements.

“The platform is designed as an educational tool that fosters healthy habit formation, financial literacy, and self-discipline, with thousands of lives positively impacted. The decision by Google Play is being appealed.”

      • meseek #2982@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        There exists a vast population of struggling young men who are easy marks when it comes to romance and sex. I mean 4chan exists. As does OF and to a lesser extent, Twitch. He’s just as much a predator of those men as he is young women.

        Growing up online is seriously going to mess up the next generation.

          • meseek #2982@lemmy.ca
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            1 year ago

            Because they are desperate. Same tactic employed by this late night self help infomercials. They pray on people that have tried everything and still have no made progress. The “but what if it works” mindset is super exploitable.

            Tate and his ilk just do that. Exploit the easily exploitable. Men. Women. Anyone really. It’s just wildly absurd to think Tate (or people like him) only exploit one segment of the population.

          • radix@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            I think it’s also a perceived value thing. You think something has more value when you pay for it, or at least you pretend to think so to save face.

      • trailing9@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        They obviously lack a role model in their life. If there is a market for such an app, who has or is going to develop an app that fills that gap and offers the knowledge sincerely that they are missing, without the abusive parts?

    • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
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      1 year ago

      I’ve never heard him speak but every time I see him he looks like an egg with a vagina stuck to it so I assume he sounds like something out of a Dali-esque Alice in Wonderland

      • squiblet@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Pretty much. He sometimes speaks with an American accent and other times a British accent, going back and forth at random which makes the British accent seem forced.

        • stopthatgirl7@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          To be fair, he grew up in both the US and the UK. His mom is British, and he lived in the US until he was about 12, 13, then moved to the UK. Him having a very confused accent makes sense.

          There, that’s the only time you’ll ever see me defending anything about that raging douche canoe.

          • squiblet@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            Sure, it is authentic. Seems like he could pick one way of talking and stick with it though. That would make for a more professional delivery for someone that is basically paid to talk.

      • instamat@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Lucky. Try to avoid hearing him for as long as possible.

        Imagine a guy who dominates conversations by talking louder and a bit faster than everyone else, and doesn’t pronounce his Ts. Instead of kitten, he says ki-en, or instead of Bugatti, he says boo-gah-ee. He says the last one a lot.

    • scarabic@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Ohhhhh god I was on a plane recently and a young couple sat down next to me. I wasn’t tuned in for their whole conversation but at one point I heard her chiding him for how he gets emotional when he’s upset.

      She busted out her phone and showed him an Andrew Tate clip where he says something about how no one wants to hear your complaints so don’t waste your time with them, just be a man and be stoic. He used the word stoic.

      The young guy shrugged and said “what does he know?”

      She said “you’re going to tell me that one of the strongest men in the world, with all his insight, says this and you’re going to just ignore it?”

      I snorted out loud, unable to catch myself. Thankfully they didn’t notice.