WASHINGTON POST – Jan 11 – China experts and former intelligence officials are raising concerns about user data privacy following the acquisition of Grindr by a Chinese technology firm. The Chinese government could be in a position to demand sensitive details on the lives of millions of non-Chinese citizens. More and more, the U.S. government is worried about the acquisition of American technology companies by Chinese firms, which are subject to undue influence and control by Beijing. Only last week, the U.S. government rejected a huge Chinese acquisition. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US blocked Ant Financial, the investment arm of Alibaba Group, from buying Moneygram, the second-largest financial remittance firm in the US. Congress had raised concerns that allowing a Chinese company to own all the data of Americans sending each other money represented a national security issue for the US. The Trump administration agreed and killed the deal. Grindr's VP of marketing, Peter Sloterdyk said Grindr has never disclosed any user data to the Chinese government nor does it intend to do so. Grindr remains a U.S. company governed and protected by the laws of the US, he said.
Category: All Gay
Kunlun Group Completes Acquisition Of Grindr; Announces Interim CEO, New CFO And CTO
PR NEWSWIRE – Jan 5 – Kunlun, one of the largest mobile gaming companies in the world, now has full ownership of Grindr. Joel Simkhai, the CEO and founder of Grindr, will exit the company, and Yahui Zhou, the chairman of the board of Grindr, will serve as the interim CEO. Additionally, Grindr's current vice-chairman Wei Zhou has been named as executive vice-chairman and CFO, and former Facebook and Instagram veteran Scott Chen will join Grindr as CTO.
Gay Dating App Chappy Is Fighting Racist Body-Shamers
ADVOCATE – Jan 4 – Ollie Locke and Jack Rogers, the cofounders of Chappy, saw a disturbing trend in hookup and dating apps. Things like "no fats, no fems, and no Asians" were visible on dating profiles. "Our incredibly progressive community is pulled backwards in time by anonymous platforms that provide spaces for actions and language that would never be deemed acceptable in real life", said Ollie Locke. Chappy created "The Pledge", a declaration that every user must accept before creating their profile. They promise that they will be courteous about others' feelings and refrain from bias and isolating behavior.
Gay Dating App Hornet Opens A New Office In New York City
Lesly Is The New Grindr For Lesbian And Bisexual Women
DAILYTELESCOPE – Dec 28 – Statistics show that there are more lesbian and bisexual women than gay and bisexual men. Researchers suggest that this is probably because women are more open-minded. A major study in the UK shows that women in lesbian relationships are happier than women in traditional relationships with men. The main reason is women understand each other, whereas men and women come from different planets. Dating app Lesly has invited a team of experts to contribute to the design of this app.
by Maria Burns
The full article was originally published at Daily Telescope, but is no longer available.
47% Of Gay Men Experience Homophobia From Direct Family Members
GAYTIMES.CO.UK – Dec 20 – Gay dating app Chappy – in partnership with Survation – has found that nearly half of gay men have experienced homophobia from direct family members during visits home. This, of course, results in anxiety about visiting family members at Christmas time, but can also cause depression. The gay dating app recently launched their global Don't be a Dick campaign, which highlighted the regular use of prejudicial language and attitudes from users on gay dating platforms.
Grindr’s Magazine INTO Partners With The Tenth Magazine
LGBT WEEKLY – Dec 20 – The Tenth Magazine, a biannual publication that engages the world's most talented LGBTQ artists and intellectuals has partnered with INTO, Grindr's newly minted queer magazine. As a part of the collaboration, The Tenth will release their latest issue – THE ROMANTICS, Jan. 27, 2018 and host one article from it on INTOmore.com as a preview starting today. The event marks the first time The Tenth, which has purposefully maintained only a print edition, has published content online and is exemplary of how INTO supports the work of other queer artists and publications. The Tenth Magazine and INTO will also host "THE ROMANTICS EXHIBITION," a photography show and cocktail party at New York State's oldest theater, Hudson Opera Hall Feb. 3 from 4-7pm.
Grindr’s Online Magazine “Into” Boasts Strong Q1 Numbers
The Disruptive Influence Of Apps On Gay Bars
ARTICLE 19 Partners With Grindr To Improve Protection Of LGBTQ+ Users In MENA
IFEX25 – Dec 6 – Grindr has joined forces with global free speech organization, ARTICLE 19, to help protect LGBTQ+ communities in Egypt, Iran and Lebanon who face police harassment, torture and imprisonment. Grindr will implement a number of changes to the Grindr app to better protect users in the Middle East, Gulf and North African regions where LGBTQ communities are persecuted. The changes include the ability to change the app's icon appearance and the addition of a password security lock.