Egypt app users warned of risks, traps

CAIRO — A popular gay social networking app said Friday that it is issuing a warning to its users in Egypt, as police impersonate community members to target queer and transgender individuals.

Users in Egypt will see the following warning appear in Arabic and English when they open the Grindr app:

“We have been alerted that Egyptian police is actively making arrests of gay, bi, and trans people on digital platforms. They are using fake accounts and have also taken over accounts from real community members who have already been arrested and had their phones taken. Please take extra caution online and offline, including with accounts that may have seemed legitimate in the past.”

Egypt, though it technically does not outlaw homosexuality, frequently prosecutes members of the LGBTQ+ community on the grounds of ‘debauchery,’ or ‘violating public decency.’ Arrests of homosexuals and non-gender conforming individuals remain common.

An Egyptian government media officer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Grindr’s new measure.

The warning to users comes after rights groups and media have reported how authorities in the wider region are increasingly taking to digital platforms to crack down on the LGBTQ+ community.