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Anonymous Chat App Secret Is Shutting Down

Secret, Once Thought To Be The Next Big Thing, Is Shutting Down
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 06: David Byttow speaks at TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2014 - Day 2 on May 6, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for TechCrunch)
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NEW YORK, NY - MAY 06: David Byttow speaks at TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2014 - Day 2 on May 6, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for TechCrunch)

Secret, the anonymous chatting app that lets people share their messages with friends and public is shutting down. Secret’s CEO, David Byttow announced the news on his blog that he is shutting the app down.

“Secret does not represent the vision I had when starting the company, so I believe it’s the right decision for myself, our investors and our team.” he wrote.

Secret was first released on iOS and then on Android, and had a user base of 15 million. According to Byttow, anonymity was a great device to achieve open communication and creative expression, but it was also a double edged sword. Secret went firal soon after launch, leading many to believe it could become a huge success story.

Byttow plans to return the money to investors, and create postmortem that other entrepreneurs can learn from. “I believe the right thing to do is to return the money rather than attempt to pivot.” he wrote.

Founded in October 2013, Secret had raised $35 million in three rounds of funding from 26 investors. Its competitors are Whisper and Yik Yak.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.