A controversial people-rating app that's been described as "cruel" and "scary" is being overhauled after its Canadian creator found herself on the receiving end of a firestorm of criticism.

The Calgary entrepreneur behind Peeple -- an application that allows users to rate people in the way other apps compile ratings for restaurants or hotels – says she will move forward with the app's release, despite the backlash.

But not without making a few significant changes.

"I went from a relatively unknown 34-year-old entrepreneur from Canada to unintentionally becoming a trending topic on Facebook and Twitter in less than 24 hours," Julia Cordray, Peeple's co-founder, wrote on LinkedIn earlier this week. "I wish I could say it was for something positive, but it wasn't."

Peeple's Facebook and Twitter accounts were shut down, after being swamped with criticism and scathing comments. 

But Cordray says she is still planning to release the app, pushing the release date ahead from November to next week.

The only information on the Peeple website, as of Wednesday morning, is an Oct. 12 release date and the option to join a waiting list for the app.

Cordray wrote on LinkedIn that Peeple has always been a "positive only app" and her intention was to "bring positivity and kindness to the world."  She also outlinedthe changes that will be made.

Moving forward, Corday says individuals will not be reviewed on the site without their explicit permission.

When the app was first announced, Corday said negative comments would not appear right away, but would instead be delivered to recipient’s inbox, giving them "48 hours to face that person and work it out."

Corday says, not only has the 48-hour rule been done away with, there will be no way to make a negative comment, since all comments must be approved before they're visible.

The Calgarian also said, since she described Peeple as the "Yelp for People" in the media, she's received death threats and countless insulting comments on various social media platforms.

"I hope now, if nothing else, by watching me you can clearly see why the world needs more love and positivity," she said.

University of Calgary assistant law professor Emily Laidlaw said the app could potentially have huge legal ramifications for its creators.

"In Canada, if you run an app or you're hosting a website and you are informed that you're carrying content that's defamatory, you now have knowledge and you have control," Laidlaw told CTV Calgary. "So you risk liability if you don't take the content down."

With files from CTV Calgary