THEGAYUK

Category: Tech

  • If you need a reason to delete Grindr, this might be it

    If you need a reason to delete Grindr, this might be it

    By this point, you either LOVE or HATE the world’s biggest gay dating app, but if you’re looking for a reason to delete it, this latest controversy might be the one to push you!

    CREDIT: Ryazan / BIGSTOCK

    The Chinese owned app Grindr is apparently headed by a cis-gender, straight man who is facing a backlash after saying that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

    Despite its gay beginnings, the Grindr app was snapped up by a Chinese gaming app in January 2018. The firm that owns the app put a straight, cis-gendered man, Scott Chen as the CEO.

    Scott Chen, who is married to a woman, wrote, in a deleted (but later reinstated) social media message that it was his belief that marriage should be between and man and a woman.

    He said, “There are people who believe that marriage is a holy matrimony between a man and a woman. I agree but that’s none of our business. There are also people who believe that the purpose of marriage is to create children that carry their DNA. That’s also none of our business. There are people that are simply different from you, who desperately want to get married. They have their own reasons.”

    Then seemingly the CEO remembered who he worked for, went on to say that he wished people wouldn’t donate to anti-LGBTQ causes.

    The story, interestingly was first reported by the Grindr-owned digital magazine, IntoMore.

    Scott Chen was reportedly speaking about Cher Wang the president and CEO of HTC, who according to claims by IntoMore has anti-LGBT+ non-profit organisations organising to influence Taiwan’s referendum on same-sex marriage”.

    “huge advocate for LGBTQ+ rights”

    Scott Chen’s post was deleted, but reinstated after IntoMore broke their story. Chen then wrote that he was “huge advocate for LGBTQ+ rights” since he was young. He also wrote, “I support gay marriage and I am proud that I can work for Grindr.”

  • Twitter is banning misgendering and deadnaming to protect transgender people

    Twitter is banning misgendering and deadnaming to protect transgender people

    Twitter is stepping up its protection policy for the trans community.

    Transgender Flag

    Deadnaming and misgendering could now get you a suspension from Twitter as it looks to sure up its safeguarding policy for transgender, non-binary and genderfluid people.

    The micro-blogging website is home to some of the most abusive conversations over transgender rights with feuds often breaking out between gender critical feminists and transgender activists.

    Well-known Twitter users such as Katie Hopkins have often used the site to hit out at, undermine, bully or insight hatred towards transgender people.

    Earlier in 2018, Katie Hopkins wrote that transgender women were just “castrated men” as well as calling trans women “sausage smugglers”.

    Now people who purposely misgender or dead name a trans person could find themselves suspended or banned from the platform forever.

    The policy now includes the wording, “Repeated and/or non-consensual slurs, epithets, racist and sexist tropes, or other content that degrades someone…

    Including “targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals”.

    Punishment

    The social media giant has said that it will take action against those found to flaunt its policy. It writes,

    “We may ask someone to remove the violating content and serve a period of time in read-only mode before they can Tweet again.

    “Subsequent violations will lead to longer read-only periods and may eventually result in permanent account suspension”.

     

    Twitter has included language that specifically protects the transgender community from harmful content. PhotoMIX-Company / Pixabay

    What is deadnaming?

    Deadnaming is when a person refers to someone by a previous name, it could be done with malice or by accident. It mostly affects transgender people who have changed their name during their transition.

    For instance, if a trans woman’s birth name was Martin, but she changed it to Sarah during her transition, calling her Martin or referring to her as Martin would be deadnaming her.

    It is very similar to misgendering but focuses more on someone’s name rather than gender pronouns.

     

  • Martyn Hett’s brother just released a game based on his experience of the digital death knock

    The brother of a man who was killed in a terrorist bombing has released a game which shows how distressing it can be when journalists bombard victim’s families with requests for news and interviews.

    You may remember the story of Martyn Hett, a PR manager who was killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in 2017. Martyn was Dan’s brother, who in the days following the attack, was bombarded with a barrage of messages on social media from well-wishers and journalistics alike eager to know any news about Martyn.

    In journalism, “the death knock”, as it’s frequently known as, is where someone from a news outlet visits the home of the bereaved to find out more details about a victim’s life or cause of death. However, as more and more people are on social media, “the death knock” has gone digital.

    Moments after a major incident, those who are tweeting about it and who are in the vicinity of the upset are often besieged with tweets from journalists from all the major networks looking for more information. These often come in the form of picture permission requests or live interviews.

    Hett has released a game called “Sorry To Bother You” a short video which shows what happened to him after the death of his brother.

    Writing on the game’s homepage Hett wrote, “Sorry To Bother You is a short videogame that details a real experience: specifically, the massive influx of thousands of messages following the unexpected death of my brother Martyn in the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack. The game tasks players with isolating the messages that are actually journalist requests (sometimes quite thinly-veiled ones).  To do this, respond to each message by hitting the heart icon, or the trash can – ‘like’ the real messages, and trash the journalist ones”.

    Speaking to Buzzfeed News Hett said, “It was one of the things that underpinned the experience and made it a lot more difficult,

    “If I wanted people to take anything away from it, it’s just for it to become a talking point – I’ve had a few of the original journalists reach out saying ‘I was one of the thousands of people and it’s made me reconsider and re-think, and we need to do better’.

    “The game’s not offering a solution, it’s a direct observation from me. And if that’s a starter for 10 for even one journalist to go away and think there must be a better way of doing this, I think that’s important.

    “Probably more than most I understand the need to tell a story, we’re news-hungry people, that stuff has to happen – but the aim of the game is to show the way in which it’s done during unfolding events is not OK.”

  • Grindr is banning racism but users point out there’s still a lot of other discrimination

    Grindr is banning racism but users point out there’s still a lot of other discrimination

    What about Ageism, HIV stigma and effeminism, users ask…

    CREDIT: Ryazan / BIGSTOCK

    Banning racism is on the agenda at Grindr and many of the gay hook up apps, but users are keen to point out that Grindr is failing on other discriminatory language including ageism, HIV stigma and anti-effeminate sentiments.

    Recently Grindr announced a new policy, dubbed Kindr, which looks to rid the platform of all types of discrimination, however, users point out that aside from racism there is a whole heap of discrimination that goes seemingly unchecked via people’s profiles.

    Grindr says it will now moderate language on users’ profiles, saying they’d rather “hear about what you’re into, not what you aren’t”. Some, however, are concerned that the announcement seemingly only touches on racism. However, the editor of Into, Grindr’s online magazine, has said that the new policy will take into consideration any discriminatory language.

    Zach Stafford said, “So, I am seeing some confusion around and wanted to clear one big thing up: Discriminatory language like ‘no fats, no femmes, no Asians’ is officially considered discriminatory and will now be banned on Grindr”.

    Have you suffered discrimination on a dating app?

  • Changes at gay app Chappy as two co-founders step down

    Two of the three co-founders of the Chappy app have stepped down.

    Chappy, today announced that two of its three original co-founders, Ollie Locke and Jack Rogers, have decided to leave the company. Its Board of Directors has collectively appointed Sam Dumas to succeed the duo as the Global Head of Brand. Locke and Rogers will step down on 29th August 2018 after 18 months with the company. Max Cheremkhin will remain as an active co-founder working with Dumas to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.

    “Leading Chappy has truly been an honour, for both of us. We’re incredibly proud of all that the Chappy team have achieved over the past 18 months to advance the interests of the community while inspiring other technology to be a force for good. Guided by our philosophy of kindness and respect, we launched in new global markets, reinspired trust in dating, whilst also lifting up all the communities we serve. We’ve made a more meaningful impact in people’s lives than we ever dreamed possible. We truly believe Max and Sam will continue to take the company from strength to strength and are excited to follow and support Chappy’s journey from the sidelines. The company will always hold a special place in our hearts, but the time has come for us both to refocus our energy on exciting new projects and we wish everyone involved all the very best for the future.”
    Ollie Locke, Jack Rogers, Co-founders, Chappy.

    “In Chappy, Jack, Max and Ollie have created something special over the past 18 months, from building our incredible team to taking the app to its first half a million users. It’s an important milestone that presents an opportunity for refocusing our brand and evolving our product, marketing and positioning here in the US. At its heart, Chappy is about helping gay form relationships with other like-minded men looking for something similar. Max and I share a love and respect for the DNA of Chappy and are delighted to have such a strong foundation to build on.”Sam Dumas, Global Head of Brand, Chappy.

  • This man is bringing a class action against Grindr for allowing racial discrimination

    “A breeding ground that perpetuates racism against gay Asian Men”

    A man is planning to sue the gay dating app, Grindr, for racial discrimination and is looking for co-plaintiffs across the US’s fifty states so that he can bring a class action.

    In a statement released on social media, Sinakhone Keodara, the CEO and founder of the Asian Entertainment Television company says that Grindr allows “white gay men to write in their profiles ‘no Asians’, ‘not interested in Asians’: or ‘I don’t find Asians attractive’,” which he says, leads to people feeling “offended, humiliated, degraded and dehumanised” by the app.

    Keodara says that anyone who is considering joining him must be a paying customer.

    In 2018, Grindr became fully owned by the Chinese gaming firm, Kunlun Tech Co.

    The dating app OKCupid recently analysed sexual racism among 1m of its male site users. The company found that compared to black, Asian or minority ethnic users, white users got more messages. White users were also found to be less likely to reply or match with users of a different race to themselves, and more likely to question interracial marriage.

    Recent research from Australia also found that 15% of gay men on the dating app Grindr included sexual racism on their profiles. This was more likely to be the case if the profile user was white, and if the user held broader racist views.

  • This Instagram post perfectly explains why Instagram’s nipple ban is so wrong

    This Instagram post perfectly explains why Instagram’s nipple ban is so wrong

    In a post entitled “Dear Instagram, This Isn’t Sexual” Rain sets out to explain why the social media giant’s ban of female nipples is wrong. Speaking directly to IG, Rain wrote:

     

    DEAR INSTAGRAM: THIS ISNT SEXUAL. Sure, I may have my DD Breasts out. Nipples shining in the sun. But this is simply a game of basketball between two humans. One of those humans is actually a Pro Basketball player (@crissa_ace ) – who’s skills on the court are far more worthy of a stare than my swinging sacks of potential food providing flesh. But before You delete my IG POST let me DD-fend myself: #1: Your guidelines say “Female nipples”. I do not identify as “female”. Or “male”. So I am not violating your guidelines. #2 Even if I did identify as “Female”- “Females” can have Pecs. “Males” can have Breasts. And if You argue only people with pecs are considered “Male” bodied- Pecs can be bigger than Breasts and vice versa. Both can also lactate. Both can also be fetishized. What’s so different? #3 What is considered “nudity” or “naked” changes culturally globally. In some places eye contact direct to camera is considered sexual. Showing your shoulders is considered lewd. Hugs are considered worse than kisses. Etc. Aren’t you a globally reaching company? Who’s opinion is controlling what is considered sexual? Can we have a chat one on one? I wouldn’t have had much of a chance at my career without my IG platform. I’m grateful for this app and what it has done to elevate my opportunities in life. I’m coming TO You. Not AT You. Please consider reviewing the language You use in your guidelines. Either make it so NO one can show their nipples or everyone can. You’re creating a division that’s reinforcing the vulnerable feelings people with breasts already feel. Fear, shame, objectification. Stop targeting “females” specifically. Instead might I recommend addressing INTENTIONS- equally. It’s kind of obvious when someone is creating work with specifically salacious intention. A shirt off is not enough for a conviction. You reach around the world IG. Therefore you can change it- simply by hanging your language. LOVE ALWAYS, Rain Dove #IdenTITTY #genderqueer #lovewins #instagram #theboysarebackintown #genderfluid #lgbtq #womensrights #ThingsYouCANChange #Basketball #DDEFENSE ? @connor_landhauser PS of this gets deleted I WILL repost every time. @katyperry

    A post shared by Rain Dove (@raindovemodel) on

    Sure, I may have my DD Breasts out. Nipples shining in the sun. But this is simply a game of basketball between two humans. One of those humans is actually a Pro Basketball player (@crissa_ace ) – who’s skills on the court are far more worthy of a stare than my swinging sacks of potential food providing flesh.
    But before You delete my IG POST let me DD-fend myself:

    #1: Your guidelines say “Female nipples”. I do not identify as “female”. Or “male”. So I am not violating your guidelines.
    #2 Even if I did identify as “Female”- “Females” can have Pecs. “Males” can have Breasts. And if You argue only people with pecs are considered “Male” bodied- Pecs can be bigger than Breasts and vice versa. Both can also lactate. Both can also be fetishized. What’s so different?
    #3 What is considered “nudity” or “naked” changes culturally globally. In some places eye contact direct to camera is considered sexual. Showing your shoulders is considered lewd. Hugs are considered worse than kisses. Etc. Aren’t you a globally reaching company? Who’s opinion is controlling what is considered sexual? Can we have a chat one on one?

    I wouldn’t have had much of a chance at my career without my IG platform. I’m grateful for this app and what it has done to elevate my opportunities in life. I’m coming TO You. Not AT You. Please consider reviewing the language You use in your guidelines. Either make it so NO one can show their nipples or everyone can. You’re creating a division that’s reinforcing the vulnerable feelings people with breasts already feel. Fear, shame, objectification. Stop targeting “females” specifically. Instead might I recommend addressing INTENTIONS- equally. It’s kind of obvious when someone is creating work with specifically salacious intention. A shirt off is not enough for a conviction.
    You reach around the world IG. Therefore you can change it- simply by hanging your language. LOVE ALWAYS, Rain Dove

  • Instagram has done something amazing for PRIDE

    Instagram has done something amazing for PRIDE

    Instagram is celebrating PRIDE in a colourful way

    When users of Instagram hashtag various LGBT+ terms, they’ll find that they’ll all turn rainbow.

    Some of the terms that turn rainbow coloured include: #Pride #Gay #Lesbian #Bisexual #Trans #Genderfluid #NonBinary #Queer #Pansexual #GenderQueer #Asexual #Instagay #LGBT #Pride #Pride2018.

    Apparently, the hashtags were approved by LGBT+ charity GLAAD. It’s just a part of the way Instagram is celebrating Pride Month – which is the entire month of June.

  • Grindr defends sharing user HIV status with outside companies

    Dating App, Grindr has defended itself after apparently sharing users’ health data, including HIV statuses.

    Chinese owned hook-up app, Grindr has said that it has been “unfairly singled out” after it was discovered that potentially sensitive data about its users was shared with two app optimising companies, Apptimize and Localytics. These companies monitor how users interact with apps and make suggestions on what could be improved.

    Data that could have been shared include HIV statuses as well as the last date tested. Grindr has said that the most sensitive information was encrypted and that the information used by the two companies has not been passed onto advertisers.

    A Norwegian campaign group, Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research, said that HIV status information was linked to information shared with the two outside firms.

    We’ve been singled out

    Grindr’s security boss, Bryce Case later told US news site Axios that the goal of sharing the data sharing with third-party companies was to improve the app for users rather than sell their data.

    Mr Case said, “I understand the news cycle right now is very focused on these issues

    “I think what’s happened to Grindr is, unfairly, we’ve been singled out.”

    A statement released by the firm, said, “Grindr has never, nor will we ever sell personally identifiable user information – especially information regarding HIV status or last test date – to third parties or advertisers.

    “As a company that serves the LGBTQ community, we understand the sensitivities around HIV status disclosure. Our goal is and always has been to support the health and safety of our users worldwide.” 

    It is understood that Grindr has stopped sharing information with Apptimize. It is now in the process of “winding down” work with Localtyics, according to the BBC.

    “Second Data Scandal”

    Gay rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, said that the potential exposure of users’ health status was “shocking”

    He said,

    “Allowing private companies access to the HIV status of Grindr customers is as shocking as it gets and can only add to the anxieties experienced by gay and bisexual men with HIV.

    “This is the second data scandal involving Grindr in a week and its users will not be reassured by this latest development.

    “There are still 72 countries in the world that criminalise homosexuality and even more have governments that actively persecute LGBT+ people. Security breaches could be exploited to make arrests and by homophobic vigilantes to make violent attacks.

    “Grindr and similar app providers must urgently audit their data security measures, come clean about any issues and fix them immediately.

    “Data protection is the new frontier in the battle for human rights. Software companies that cater for LGBT+ people arguably have a special responsibility, given the potentially risky countries that many of their users live in.”

    The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it was investigating.

  • Grindr has blocked you from seeing who blocked you

    Grindr has officially blocked you from seeing who blocked you.

    Goodbye to C*ckBlocked

    Information held about you is now being blocked from your view after Grindr patched a bug which allowed users to see who had blocked them.

    Now when a user visits the https://blocked.ongrindr.com/ website they are met with a user message which reads, “Goodbye C*ckBlocked. The first and only way to see who blocked you on Grindr. The API that provided for the data was patched by Grindr on March 23rd, 2018”

    However, if you’re in the UK, you still have certain rights to see information a company holds about you, which could mean any data that is held on your profile, which is not actually viewable by you through the app’s interface. Thanks to the Data Protection Act, if you really wanted to see what information the company holds about you, you can put in a request.

    New Ownership

    Grindr was wholly bought by a  Chinese gaming company earlier this year, meaning it is not under the LGBT ownership anymore.

    In 2016 Grindr’s founder Joel Simkhai announced that he had sold 60 percent of the dating app to the Chinese gaming firm Kunlun Tech Co. The remaining 40 percent has now been snapped up by the same firm in a deal thought to be worth $152 million.

    The initial purchase of just over 60 percent was thought to be worth $93 million.

  • YouTube Bans Neo-Nazi Channel For Violating Hate Speech Rules

    YouTube on Wednesday banned Atomwaffen Division, an American neo-Nazi group, and removed two channels operated by the group for violating the platform’s hate speech policies, according to a report from Motherboard. (more…)