YouTuber Marques Brownlee makes great videos about gadgets, but has reached that threshold of fame and success where the the Oglaf dwarves show up with their branding opportunities. How about a $50-a-year wallpaper app that gets all the permissions? Great idea. Alas, if there's a YouTube audience clued-in enough to say "absolutely not" to this sort of thing, it's the one he has cultivated.
"As far as pricing, I hear you! It's our own personal challenge to work to deliver that kind of value for the premium version," Brownlee said on X. "I'll also be dialing back ad frequency for the free experience."
Users on the iOS version of Panels also pointed out some privacy concerns, as the app asks to track your activity across other websites and apps and also appears to use location data. Brownlee says these data disclosures are "likely too broad" and that "we'd never actually actually ask for your location, internet history, etc." He says the Panels team is working to fix the issue. The Verge reached out to Brownlee with a request for comment but didn't immediately hear back.
It asks to track your location, it asks to track app activity, "Ads are everywhere," and the wallpapers aren't the best. From what commentators are complaining about, the app sounds like white-label work designed to be branded by influencers. QED.
Brownlee is one of the best, so this is perhaps best approached as a learning experience for him. At least he isn't poisoning y'all with Mr. Beast Burgers.
