Grindr Warns Egyptian Users: Cops May Pose As Gay To Entrap You
Grindr has begun warning Egyptian users that cops may be posing as gay on social media to entrap them after six men convicted of homosexuality were sentenced to two years in prison.
The men had initially posted an ad on Facebook, "promoting their apartment as a location for homosexual activity" for $200 a night, according to Egyptian news site, Ahram Online. Same-sex marriage is illegal in Egypt, and while not specifically outlawed, homosexual activity carries a penalty of up to 17 years in prison with hard labor and fines. An Egyptian court sentenced the men to two years with labor as well as a fine of LE200 (or $30) each.
Earlier this week, eight men were put on trial for appearing in a video depicting a gay wedding ceremony aboard a Nile river boat. The defendants were subjected to, and subsequently failed, controversial medical exams to detect homosexuality. They are expectred in court on Saturday over allegations of "inciting debauchery."
These two incidents are the latest in a series of increasingly tough crackdowns on the Egyptian LGBT community, with BuzzFeed reporting, "since October, around 80 people are known to have been arrested on allegations of homosexuality."
Just last month, an anonymous tipster began warning Grindr users in some 70 countries with anti-gay laws of a security flaw that allowed hackers to pinpoint their exact location. Grindr initially insisted that it was not a flaw but rather an option that users could turn off themselves, but following widespread criticism, the app permanently disabled the feature.
