Cheating gay boyfriends across South America were outraged last week after learning about a new smartphone app that tracks their infidelities and discreetly reports back to their lovers.
In other news, half of Rio is now single.
The AP reports that “tens of thousands” of Brazilians downloaded the “Boyfriend Tracker” app from the Google Play app store before it was discontinued following customer complaints last week. According to reports, the app would send location information, duplicated text messages and even internet history to a person that had stealthily installed the software for $2.
Perhaps what’s most troubling is a feature that allowed a spy lover to essentially “pocket dial” their lovers’ phone to listen in on conversations at any time.
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Although Google has failed to comment on why the “Boyfriend Tracker” has been removed from their online store, critics say the app violated privacy rights and could be used for “more sinister reasons.”
Whatever, said Matheus Grijo, the 24-year-old mastermind behind the app. He says the app is only permitted for “social and recreational use,” and more than half of its 50,000 users have reported positive feedback.
“In Brazil, we have this culture of switching partners really quickly, so this is a way of dealing with that,” he said. “People really appreciate having a tool to help them find out whether they’re being cheated on.”
A culture of switching partners really quickly? No wonder why Marc Jacobs and Harry Louis are always there!
QJ201
Find my iPhone works perfectly fine to stalk my boyfriend. I call tell what he’s up to just by what neighborhood in the city he’s in.
yaoming
If “half of Rio is now single”, wouldn’t that make the other half single, too?
tdx3fan
I really do not get this outdated notion of gay monogamy. If I wanted to be in a monogamous relationship, I would go straight. I have no desire to do so. Why would you throw away a perfectly good relationship of any real length just because your boyfriend got it hard for another and wanted to play around a little. Big fucking deal. Let them do what they are going to do, and you do what you are going to do. You are both men, don’t buy into the straight issues that go along with long lasting relationships. If straights would realize that monogamy is bull shit, half of their marriages would not end in divorce.
Merv
If this story is even remotely true, it doesn’t say anything good about privacy and security on Android phones. For any third party app to have programmatic access to text messages, browser history, and live phone calls is ridiculous.
ncman
@yaoming: Math doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t say that half of Rio broke up with their boyfriends. It says half are now single. That includes counting BOTH members of previously coupled men. So, the other half that aren’t now single are still coupled.
Assume there were 1000 coupled men in Rio. 250 couples (500 men) broke up. Now 500 men are single and 500 men (250 couples) are still together.
John Doe
@tdx3fan: Feel free to espouse open relationships or non-monogamy. But, by slamming monogamy (and essentially those who believe in it) you only weaken your credibility and argument. In fact, you’ve given no argument at all. You’ve simply made overreaching assumptions and gave a personal opinion. Sadly some people that are in favor of open relationships feel that they must attack those who support or believe in monogamy. Why? Just live your own life. Why so feverish to attack? There is no need to attack the beliefs, desires or inclinations of others who are different than you. It sounds like the real problem here is your inability to be secure in yourself. If you were, you wouldn’t be attacking the choices of others.
the other Greg
“In Brazil, we have this culture of switching partners really quickly, so this is a way of dealing with that,”
By making it worse? By making people switch partners even MORE quickly?
Odd concept.
@tdx3fan: Agree!
@John Doe: Stick around Queerty comments for six months and add up which side – anti-monogamy or pro-monogamy – makes the MOST sweeping, pompous, arrogant, self-defensive, vicious, nasty comments. It’ll be the pro-monogamy side, by far.
teyshan
@tdx3fan Open relationships are fine when both parties know that it’s open and they communicate their intentions. I was in a relationship that after some time we decided to be non-monogamous but with the rule you let the other know what was going on. Sadly even that proved to be too restrictive for my partner and he decided to “cheat” by not informing me of these outside encounters. The real problem is that if you are emotionally immature and don’t respect your partner then it isn’t going to work.