Okay, Grindr, we need to have an intervention. The West Hollywood based app is coming under fire for facilitating drug sales, and now city officials are demanding a meeting with its founder.
Other apps, like Scruff, do what they can to curb drug references, but it’s unclear the extent to which Grindr has done the same. Weho City Council members are growing increasingly troubled by the app’s use by drug dealers. Many of those politicians are personally acquainted with Joel Simkhai, and said they plan to question him about what the company can be doing differently.
Council Member Lindsey Horvath said that her appointee to the Public Safety Commission, Estevan Montemayor, had asked the local Sheriff for a report on the problem. While we certainly don’t condone sex police, the matter deserves an investigation.
Council Member John D’Amico suggested that the city could be doing more to reach out to people prior to drug use, warning them of the consequences. And those consequences can pretty bad for habitual users: brain and heart damage, high blood pressure, tooth decay, depression, stroke, epilepsy.
The story of the ease with which drugs can bought and sold on Grindr was broken by an excellent investigative report by the online magazine WEHOville.com.
ChrisK
Just restrict words like pnp or party and that will help allot. Manhunt did that years ago.
QJ201
@ChrisK: Doesn’t work
??$$$
QJ201
@QJ201: I tried pasting emojis, for “party” and “Wind (smoke)” that are commonly used to indicate party and play. Weed emojis are common too
ChrisK
@QJ201: Yeah, you’re right. In the 2000s it was “I’ve got Ms Turner tickets” as in Tina Turner. Never mind the fact that she hasn’t performed in very long time.
Heywood Jablowme
“PnP” is very convenient shorthand. If they ban terms like “PnP” how will the normal non-addict guys know which brain-dead loser profiles to AVOID?
BriBri
It’s not the job of app developers to police the drug users. Leave the to the PoPo.