With Trump’s declaration of a national emergency over threats against US Technology amid the campaign against Huawei today, it looks like Grindr’s days are numbered.
CNN.com states that the US doesn’t trust a Chinese company to own a gay dating app, so Uncle Sam 
will be forcing Grindr to be sold by 2020. The main reason? An increase in tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade and more specifically national security and identity protection.
Currently, the hook-up app is 60% owned by the Beijing Kunlun Tech company. The large purchase was made in 2016 and it was expected that the app would be taken public after all sales were finalized in 2018, but the app has had some PR issues of late, with leaking HIV status of users, sharing GPS locations, not protecting gay users in hostile nations, and more.
Not only were there PR issues, but the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), held up the finalization of the purchase in order to spend a little more time determining “the effect of such transactions on the national security of the United States.”
No, it’s not the Lavender Scare all over again, kinda, well it could be CFIUS did not release why the directed study of Grindr and its desire for it not to be controlled by a Chinese firm. Also, under current Chinese cybersecurity law, companies choosing to do business in China must base their data in China. And if the Chinese government wants information from any company, all they need to do is ask and it is usually turned over. We’re sure government officials are worried about their faceless pics getting out. Apparently the pressure was enough from CFIUS and just this Monday, Grindr must be sold in just under 14 months, by June 30, 2020.
WIt’s out of Grindr users’ control, but what do you think? Is it good that Grindr will have to be sold and not owned by a Chinese company?
Did the government overstep its bounds?
Do you prefer your gay dating app to be owned by a gay owner or does it really matter?
Source: CNN.com
I would think/hope that any gay app would be in better hands if it were gay owned.