Teen sues Grindr after 4 men raped her on app – Global Village Space

A recent lawsuit filed against Grindr, a popular dating app for the LGBTQ+ community, alleges that the company knowingly facilitated the rape of a minor by four adult men. The victim, referred to in the lawsuit as “Doe,” downloaded the app as a high school student to befriend other underage boys. Instead, she was met with open messages and photos from the four men who raped her in their homes or in parks.

After testifying at their criminal trials, three of the four men were convicted of sexually assaulting a child and sentenced to 24 to 54 months in prison. The fourth has not yet been found. The lawsuit accuses Grindr of knowing that its product facilitates the rape of children and aligns the company with other organizations that have “turned a blind eye to the systematic exploitation of child sexual abuse,” such as the Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic Church.

The lawsuit also alleges that Grindr markets to children through its accounts on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, where many brands have accounts. The company’s TikTok account, which has more than 138,000 followers, is routinely taken over by adult content creators who post videos on behalf of Grindr. The lawsuit highlights two TikTok videos that have since been removed by Grindr, in which the creators of the adult content pretended to be high school or PE students. One such video is “specifically set in an elementary, middle, or high school classroom.”

The suit alleges that Grindr could have prevented Doe’s abuse by using a third-party age verification service, requiring a government ID to use the app, or blocking school use, among other things. A spokesperson for Grindr said that Apple, Google and the entire tech industry should work together to develop better age gate technology that also respects users’ data.

Doe is suing Grindr for faulty design, faulty manufacturing, faulty warning, negligence and negligent misrepresentation. He is also filing a civil suit under the Trafficking in Persons section of the United States Code.

In conclusion, the lawsuit against Grindr highlights the dangers of online predators targeting minors through dating apps and social media platforms. It also raises important questions about the responsibility of technology companies to protect their users from harm and prevent the exploitation of children. As technology continues to evolve, it is critical that companies prioritize user security and develop better age verification systems and other measures to prevent abuse and exploitation.