The Claim: Grindr Banned from Apple’s App Store
A viral meme claims that a popular LGBTQ + dating app has been banned by Apple.
“Apple banned Grindr from the App Store,” reads first section of graphic shared on Facebook September 26.
The meme also mentions Texas’ new laws banning most abortions and adult workers under the age of 21 to work in strip clubs, as well as eBay banning the sale of erotica. These recent bans are collectively referred to as signs that “We are descending into a Christian dystopia and you don’t want to see it. They will not stop â€.
Included below the text, which is the same as a Tweet of June 13 which went viral on Twitter, is an edited version of a comic book by political cartoonist Gary Varvel showing the calendar going back to 1984, a reference to George Orwell’s novel used to criticize censorship.
The image and similar have been shared widely on Facebook and Instagram, accumulating hundreds of interactions since June.
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One problem though: Apple has never banned Grindr.
USA TODAY has reached out to Facebook and Twitter users for comment.
Confusion over new app store guidelines
Early June, Apple announced changes to its App Store guidelines, changes to crack down on crooks, fake reviews and other potential criminal activity.
The amendment also targeted apps with overt pornographic content or those that facilitate prostitution or human trafficking, the LGBTQ news and lifestyle magazine. Out reported.
According to directive 1.1.4, applications “which may include pornography or be used to facilitate prostitution” could also be deleted. The new change sparked an online controversy, with some interpreting it to mean that Apple would ban dating apps, especially ones that cater to the LGBTQ + community like Grindr and Scruff.
In an email to USA TODAY, Apple said the company has never authorized apps dedicated to pornography or human trafficking on its App Store, and the guideline has simply been updated to clarify. its position to application developers.
Long-standing casual dating apps, like Grindr or Scruff, that do not intentionally include pornographic images or have other malicious intent have not been and will not be rejected, a spokesperson for Apple to USA TODAY in an emailed statement.
The other demands of the position are random.
Texas introduced a law prohibit abortion after a heartbeat is detected and another requiring the strip club’s employees and customers to be 21 and over. Lawmakers said the limits were increased from 18 in order to fight against sex trafficking, especially underage workers.
And the meme is only partially right about eBay. The company announced from June 15, any adult item with illegal or explicitly sexual content will be prohibited for sale. The sellers, however, will always be able to list adult items, such as sex toys or nude paintings, if those ads do not feature sexual content.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we find the claim that Grindr has been banned from the Apple App Store FALSE. The claim comes from a viral tweet sparked by confusion over updated guidelines from Apple’s App Store. The company has confirmed that the Grindr dating app has never been banned.
Our sources of fact-checking:
- Know Your Meme, January 19 Living in 1984
- @VeeChattie, June 13, Tweet (archived)
- Le Verge, June 7 Apple’s New App Store Guidelines Warn Scammers, Bounty Hunters
- Released on June 10 Apple clarifies Grindr, Scruff’s future after app guidelines update
- Apple, accessed September 28 App Store Review Guidelines
- Le Gardien, June 15 No, Apple’s new policy doesn’t mean it bans Grindr
- Reuters, June 16 Fact Check – Apple Didn’t Ban Grindr From The App Store In The US
- Apple, September 28, phone and email exchange with USA TODAY
- UNITED STATES TODAY, September 1 What you need to know about the Texas abortion law which prohibits the procedure once a heartbeat is detected
- Reason, June 3 Barely Legal Strippers Are Now Totally Illegal in Texas
- San Antonio Current, June 1 Texas governor signs new law requiring employees and patrons of strip clubs to be at least 21 years old
- Le Verge, May 14 eBay to enact sex ban from June 15
- eBay, accessed September 28 Adult Articles Policy
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Our fact-checking work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.
