Paris Olympics 2024: LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr is blocked in the Olympic village
They say love is right around the corner¡ªbut not if you're swiping on Grindr in the Paris Olympics village.?
?Grindr, an LGBTQ+ dating app, has disabled its "explore" function, which means users will be unable to see profiles by geolocating the Olympics Village in the City of Love, where at least 14,000 athletes from all over the world are based.?
Why is Grindr illegal in the Olympic Village?
Grindr, which claims to be on a mission to create a "global gayborhood" in your pocket, announced in a blog post on Wednesday that it would disable location-based capabilities to safeguard athletes from abuse or prosecution in the Paris Olympics Village.
"If an athlete is not out or comes from a country where being LGBTQ+ is dangerous or illegal, using Grindr can put them at risk of being outed by curious individuals who may try to identify and expose them on the app," according to the firm.?
How many countries competing in the games have national laws that criminalize same-sex relationships?
According to Human Rights Watch, at least 67 countries competing in the games have national laws that criminalize same-sex relationships between consenting individuals.
To address these concerns, Grindr is making many modifications to the Olympic Village. For example, profiles will no longer automatically display the "show distance" function, which indicates how far away someone is.?
Also read:?Watch: Neeraj Chopra's training video goes viral as he arrives in Paris for the Olympics
This functionality can still be turned on, but it will default to "off" for users in the Village and other venues.Grindr stated that the update aimed to "help athletes connect without worrying about unintentionally revealing their whereabouts or being recognised."?
What modifications is the app doing??
During the two-week event, Grindr users in the Village will be able to send limitless vanishing messages and unsend messages for free, which are normally paid-for capabilities. Furthermore, the app has temporarily restricted the ability to send private movies and capture screenshots in the designated area.?
The company is improving security features, including making it easy to use the 'submit a Recent Chat' function, which allows users to submit issues within 24 hours.?
Grindr will also replace regular adverts with weekly reminders about the risks of using the app in the Olympic Village.According to OutSports, approximately 155 LGBTQ+ athletes will attend the Olympics in Paris, representing a small fraction of the total of over 10,000 athletes.?
"We're in the game, ensuring LGBTQ+ athletes can connect authentically without worrying about prying eyes or unwanted attention," the dating app business added.?
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