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posted by Fnord666 on Sunday September 16 2018, @10:31AM   Printer-friendly
from the knowing-where-you-are dept.

A third-party app can use Grindr to expose your exact location

Back in March, a report revealed that Grindr suffered from flaws that could expose its users' personal information. The company issued a statement in response that said its location tracking feature is more akin to a square on an atlas and can't pinpoint users' exact location. According to a new investigation by Queer Europe, though, Grindr can still expose people's personal data through a third-party app called "Fuckr," which was released in 2015 and can locate up to 600 Grindr users within minutes. And by "locate," we mean it can tell where users are with an accuracy of 6 to 16 feet -- accurate enough to tell which establishment, house or even room they're in.

The free third party app is built on top of Grindr's private API, giving it access to the gay dating app's database. It uses a technique called "trilateration" to find users, allowing anyone with access to it a way to follow people around as they go about their day. All someone has to do to find users nearby is to use Fuckr's filters, which can narrow people based on their ethnicity, relationships and other data. Yes, because the app can tap into Grindr's database, it can reveal not only users' locations, but also their photo, body type, ethnicity, HIV status, last HIV test and even their sexual position preference.

Previously: Researchers Find Data Leaks in Instagram, Grindr, Oovoo, And More
Grindr Shared Users' HIV Status With Third Parties

Related: Gay dating app Grindr plans to go public after Chinese parent gives go-ahead
How Grindr Is Reinventing Itself as More Than Just a Dating App
Misguided Appeal in Grindr Case Is Latest Threat to Online Free Speech


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 17 2018, @11:46AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 17 2018, @11:46AM (#735932)

    That's a myth. It does clearly reveal that he is a moron and an asshole though.