Phone hook-up app Grindr has permanently disabled the distance locator on it’s service in some countries.
The move comes after several websites highlighted that the app could be hacked to show the specific location of users.
A bug in the app allowed hackers to triangulate users precise location down to which room in a house they were located in.
While showing how close the nearest user was one of the apps selling points when it was first released many users disabled the feature to ensure their privacy.
When users logged on to the app recently a message appeared reading;
“Keeping Your Location Safe, Your privacy and security are extremely important to us. In order to keep users safe in counties with a history of violence against the gay community, we have taken a proactive step to hide distance information. Users outside these countries can choose to hide their distance in the privacy menu.
Local Grindr user Daz said he wasn’t worried about people knowing his distance, as his location could be in any direction. The thought that someone could start to narrow down his location wasn’t a great concern.
“It’s not something that concerns me a great deal, In other locations where they persecute you for being gay, that’s a problem.” the Grindr user explained.
Fellow user of the app, Nate said he wasn’t worried about people knowing his location pointing out that trying to get someone to his location was his ultimate goal. Other users though had disabled the distance feature.
Peakey, who is in his 20’s, said growing up in the country had made him aware that there were still narrow minded and backwards people in the world, and he’d considered his safety and disabled the location settings.
On it’s website Grindr offers users a series of safety tips for using the app that include letting a friends no when your meeting someone and being careful about including personal information.
Graeme Watson
