Owner Seeks to Sell Grindr

[+ quoththeraven]

Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech Co Ltd is seeking to sell Grindr LLC, the popular gay dating app it has owned since 2016, after a U.S. government national security panel raised concerns about its ownership, according to people familiar with the matter.

 

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has informed Kunlun that its ownership of West Hollywood, California-based Grindr constitutes a national security risk, the two sources said.

 

CFIUS' specific concerns and whether any attempt was made to mitigate them could not be learned. The United States has been increasingly scrutinizing app developers over the safety of personal data they handle, especially if some of it involves U.S. military or intelligence personnel.

 

From https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1R809L?utm_source=applenews&__twitter_impression=true

 

Apparently Kunlun bypassed CFIUS to begin with, which is legal because CFIUS review is voluntary, but it's come back to bite it in the butt.

 

NOTE: I chose to post this in The Lounge as a matter of information of general interest, but depending on where the discussion goes it might need to be moved to the politics forum.

[marylander1940]

I’ve been hesitant to join Grindr. I’m not sure that I want to be in the Chinese Ministry of State Security’s database!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2018/01/12/can-the-chinese-government-now-get-access-to-your-grindr-profile/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.5b075d47962a

 

Your prayers will be answered soon!

[+ ArVaGuy]

China may have attempted to access Grinder users HIV status.

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/inside-grindr-fears-china-wanted-access-user-data-hiv-research-n989996