The popular gay dating app Jack’d has issued an apology over a notification sent to users reading “All Waves Matter.” Critics of the notification have charged racial insensitivity, drawing the obvious parallels to “Black Lives Matter.”
Jack’d sent out the notification to users March 8, presumably as a means of encouraging users to use the “wave” function. On Jack’d users can send virtual “waves” to one another to attract attention or help initiate a conversation. The use of the “All Waves Matter” function also appears even more insensitive considering the app has marketed itself on its racial inclusivity. The use of the phrase conjures similarity both as a parody of “Black Lives Matter,” and as a variation on “All Lives Matter,” a phrase used to counter Black Lives Matter activism.
Related: Scruff, Jack’d join Grindr in eliminating race filter
A spokesperson for the app took to Twitter to issue an apology.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Hey everyone, we saw the notification too…and we’re working on getting to the bottom of how this happened. In the meantime, we are sincerely sorry. That statement is not, nor has it ever been our stance on the matter. #BLM
— Jack’d (@jackd) March 9, 2021
“Hey everyone,” the tweet read, “we saw the notification too…and we’re working on getting to the bottom of how this happened. In the meantime, we are sincerely sorry. That statement is not, nor has it ever been our stance on the matter. #BLM”
Users, however, didn’t accept the apology at face value.
You know exactly how it happened. Stop playing in my face. You know exactly what you did and why. Take responsibility. pic.twitter.com/32qhRWYCMC
— airfryer Stan Account (@ShadyShayne302) March 9, 2021
“You know exactly how it happened. Stop playing in my face. You know exactly what you did and why. Take responsibility,” said user @ShadyShayne302.
You sound stupid just own up to it. And it’s obvious y’all don’t have black people handling social media.
— Black Ganymede (@BlackGany) March 9, 2021
“You sound stupid just own up to it. And it’s obvious y’all don’t have black people handling social media,” criticized user @BlackGany.
The wave notification comes less than a year after Jack’d and its sister app Scruff both chose to eliminate race-based filters. Both Jack’d and Scruff are owned by Perry Street Software. While it has endured far less criticism than competitor Grindr, Jack’d has attracted its share of PR hurdles over the years. In February 2019, the app faced a major scandal after leaking users private data and photos due to a bug in the software.
Vince
Who cares. The whole were not as racist as Grindr routine was just marketing BS anyways.
Mr. Stadnick
Never heard of this site and I guess I haven’t missed anything. Of course this article was publicity and it work some one heard of them that hadn’t.
Creamsicle
It’s popular in asia, but the last thing I read about Jack’d was that they had a major security flaw that went unfixed for years. If someone had the right info, they could access private user photos through a web browser.
M K
“POPULAR gay dating site”???? Really?? That’s what someone thinks Jack’d is??? Think again… it’s quite lame!
TheAbsoluteTRUTH
I swear liberals activists scouring anything and everything on a daily basis to be offended
tjack47
I’m highly not offended. Priorities my liberal cohorts.
cs1900
It’s interesting to me how conservatives, whatever their sexual identities, seem to think that liberals only object to things out of offense. As though all liberal criticisms of social ills are motivated by emotion rather than logic and a sense of justice.
johnnymcmxxx
It doesn’t say all lives matter. It doesn’t say Black lives don’t matter. It doesn’t say blue lives matter. It says all waves matter so what’s the problem? Are 2 words & this sentence structure now off limits? If I said all dogs matter, which they do, am I offending someone? To those so easily offended: Bye & go away. And who cares about this sh*tty hook up app anyway?
Gay Thomas
THIS. This right here. Some people wake up looking for the next thing to be offended by.
GreekKeys
We can no longer say anything matters. Only one thing matters.
James (controversial2019)
I wouldn’t interpret it as a parody of BLM or as a way to diminish the importance of the BLM movement, but I do think it was incredibly stupid of them to use it; particularly whilst the movement is still so prominent (jurors are still being chosen!). If it was 3, 4, 5 years down the line, Black and Minority Ethnics had been given the rights, protections, equality and fair treatment that they deserve, then sure, not a problem. But at this moment in time? Pure idiocy.