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Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

reuters.com

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Re: Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

#101

Post by make3 »

wwweston wrote: post #30
make3 wrote: post #17

I wonder if the same owner as Tinder and OkCupid will buy this, becoming a dating (and casual sex, and etc.) superpower. I always thought funny how OkCupid pushes ads like "You're tired of the dirty flesh market of Tinder? We hear you! Come use OkCupid!" and they have the same owner as Tinder

It's generally best to be reserved about trusting any business to put principle or mission ahead of financial rewards, so, yeah, it's probably not true that OkCupid's owners (present or past) were not in their hearts mission-focused around substance over photo-swipe matching techniques and business success just came naturally. That said, there's nothing particularly inconsistent about having different product lines a…

It's not a judgement on my part, I was finding it humorous that their ads for OkCupid were basically calling Tinder cheap and shallow just as a marketing ploy to get the users on their side while sharing the same owner, a bit like finding out a vegan restaurant that markets itself by calling meat foods unhealthy actually has the same owner as burger king.

Re: Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

#102

Post by notyourday »

ratling wrote: post #96
lambdasquirrel wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, Americans have bigoted views towards gays, which means a Chinese company can’t own a gay social network?

Part of the process of getting a security clearance is proving you can't be blackmailed. Lots of things you would think are disqualifying aren't, as long as you disclose them (being involved with BDSM is the most obvious answer I'm aware of). The fact that they're LGBT isn't the issue with the repeal of don't ask don't tell. But if they're not out and they don't disclose then yes, this information is absolutely valua…

Ok, so a Chinese engineer cannot work for OK Cupid or for Match? Or for Hinge? What about a Russian engineer? Or an Indian engineer?

Re: Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

#103

Post by ratling »

notyourday wrote: post #102
ratling wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Part of the process of getting a security clearance is proving you can't be blackmailed. Lots of things you would think are disqualifying aren't, as long as you disclose them (being involved with BDSM is the most obvious answer I'm aware of). The fact that they're LGBT isn't the issue with the repeal of don't ask don't tell. But if they're not out and they don't disclose then yes, this information is absolutely valua…

Ok, so a Chinese engineer cannot work for OK Cupid or for Match? Or for Hinge? What about a Russian engineer? Or an Indian engineer?

Where did I say... literally any of that?

Re: Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

#104

Post by microcolonel »

btbuildem wrote: post #47
zachr wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, they already have it, and that is the concern. If someone in Chinese intelligence wanted high quality extortion material, Chinese ownership of Grindr means they could probably get it with relative ease.

I think what they're saying is that the horses are out of the barn now, reversing the sale won't undo the damage.

Not every closeted gay man who will sign up for Grindr has already signed up.

Re: Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

#105

Post by microcolonel »

lambdasquirrel wrote: post #93
Waterluvian wrote: post #24

As a practical example, I'm guessing there's concern that they could get personal sexuality information about someone in the military and extort them with it. Seems really quite plausible to me.

So, Americans have bigoted views towards gays, which means a Chinese company can’t own a gay social network?

Many American businesspeople conceal their sexual orientation so that they can do business without being executed or imprisoned (possibly effecting an unofficial torture and execution) in bigoted countries, particularly in the Middle East, where capital is in great supply right now.

Also, it's not just about orientation, it's also about affairs, or adjacency to related petty crimes, which make these people vulnerable to blackmail in private and U.S. security life. e.g. a Chinese asset and you hit it off, maybe take some ecstasy or do something you didn't want your husband/boyfriend to know about, and they have it on video. Maybe it's still doable even if the database itself is not compromised, but probably more expensive and time consuming.

Added: Most Americans' home addresses (usually all of them, going back decades), phone numbers (again, usually all of them, going back decades), and birthdates are available in several privately owned publicly searchable databases which you have to specifically tell not to list these things. DoD broadly, and the Air Force, Army, and Navy at least all instruct personnel to ask that their information be delisted from these databases. Let's say you search for Grindr phone numbers and names in these databases, and find all the people who are not listed. That would be a pretty good start if you're looking for vulnerable people.

Re: Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

#106

Post by MockObject »

CharlesColeman wrote: post #14
lskopwol wrote: post #3

What makes Grindr special in this regard ? I’m sure there are other dating or social apps out there that also could be foreign owned and used for espionage....???

> What makes Grindr special in this regard ? I’m sure there are other dating or social apps out there that also could be foreign owned and used for espionage....??? select opm.name, opm.address from opm_security_clearance_files opm join grindr_users grinder where grinder.phone_number = opm.phone_number and opm.clearance in ('SECRET', 'TOP SECRET', 'SCI'); If any of those people are in the closet, they could be suscep…

This is exactly what came to mind when the OPM and Ashley Madison hacks occurred.

Re: Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

#107

Post by sdinsn »

stevefan1999 wrote: post #78
yourbandsucks wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You at least have anecdotal sources for that? My anecdotal experience is the opposite, one generation away from the farm and all..

Well, most of us are neutral about LGBT, we don't care whether you're gay or not if you can get things done.

The Chinese government sure cares, since same-sex marriage is not legal.

Re: Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

#108

Post by gubbrora »

lambdasquirrel wrote: post #93
Waterluvian wrote: post #24

As a practical example, I'm guessing there's concern that they could get personal sexuality information about someone in the military and extort them with it. Seems really quite plausible to me.

So, Americans have bigoted views towards gays, which means a Chinese company can’t own a gay social network?

On the surface a wholesome heterosexual family guy with 2.3 kids. Fucks guys on the down low. Wife doesn't know.

Re: Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

#109

Post by notyourday »

ratling wrote: post #103
notyourday wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, so a Chinese engineer cannot work for OK Cupid or for Match? Or for Hinge? What about a Russian engineer? Or an Indian engineer?

Where did I say... literally any of that?

There's no magic AI in Grindr that can answer the question "Show me all people that work for DoD that are into gay sex". There has to be some engineer or group of engineers to do it. It is the same with a Hinge/OKC/Match/etc.

Re: Told U.S. security at risk, Chinese firm seeks to sell Grindr dating app

#110

Post by codedokode »

matthewmacleod wrote: post #33
codedokode wrote: post #12

The proper solution would be not to collect personal data, especially if it is not necessary for functioning of the app, rather than worry about who is going to buy the company.

I mean that’s valid, but a gay hookup app is going to struggle with not retaining personal data - location, pictures, sexual preferences, messages, HIV status, links to other social profiles…

The app doesn't need precise location, full name, phone number or email. So if they won't collect it then there would be less useful information to leak. Having just photos without a way to identify the owner doesn't help much.
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