Today’s Russia is becoming increasingly totalitarian and the hard-won Western gains of the past 30 years are disappearing. Whether the dating app “Tinder” should be classified as such is an open question. But even the software often referred to as a “sex app” is now retreating from the market. The reason is the guilty conscience of the operator because of the human rights violations that Moscow commits day in and day out.
For a long time it seemed that Russia had overcome its Soviet past. This was especially noticeable in younger people. The “Tinder” mobile app was a brand new way for many young Russians to go manhunting.
Smartly dressed or fresh from the nail salon, they were looking for happiness. However, since the start of the war in Ukraine more than a year ago, they have found their country increasingly resembling the harsh, repressive state of grandmother’s time. The value system is also changing. The Russians joke online. With Tinder’s withdrawal, one would go back to the following introductory format:
Political reasons
“We are committed to the protection of human rights and are therefore taking steps to limit our supply in Russia. Therefore, we will exit the market on June 30, 2023,” the company’s annual report said. Tinder is owned by the Match Group, headquartered in the city of Dallas, Texas. Match took a relatively long time to make the decision. Many other Western companies were faster.
A Match Group shareholder told Reuters the company had good reasons to leave Russia. “It is not good for a trusted brand to continue operating in a country whose leader has been indicted by the International Criminal Court,” the statement said. On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes.
Clap for activists
With the withdrawal of Tinder, however, an information channel will also disappear for activists who spread uncensored information there at the initiative of the hacker collective Anonymous. When Russians scrolled through the profile descriptions, they got messages against the war – and information they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten from the state media.
In doing so, those who took part in the action put themselves in danger. Since a change in the law in 2019, Tinder must share local user data with the Russian police and secret services and is legally obliged to retain user data for a year. That clarifies another question: yes, the secret service in Russia apparently also watches over the bedrooms.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
