LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr issues warning to users in Egypt

CAIRO (AP) — A popular gay social networking application has issued a warning to its users in Egypt, as police impersonate community members to target and arrest LGBTQ+ individuals through digital platforms. When opened in the country, the application, Grindr, says the Egyptian police are “using fake accounts and have also taken over real accounts from real community members who have already been arrested and had their phones taken.” Egypt, though it technically does not outlaw homosexuality, frequently arrests and prosecutes members of the LGBTQ+  community on the grounds of ‘debauchery,’ or ‘violating public decency.’ An Egyptian government media officer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.