Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Grindr's Chinese Owner Ordered To Sell App Over National Security Concerns

The Chinese owner of Los Angeles-based gay dating app Grindr must sell Grindr by June of 2020, after reaching an agreement with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS). Beijing Kunlun Tech Co., the Chinese owner of Grindr, said on Monday that it reached an agreement to sell Grindr before June 30, 2020, and also prohibits the company from accessing any information about Grindr's users, or transferring any of its user data to any entities based in China. The issue comes over the concern by CFIUS that sensitive information about U.S. citizens would be a national security risk, by allowing a foreign owner access to sensitive or compromising information. Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. acquired Grindr in January of 2018.