Chinese gaming giant Beijing Kunlun has agreed to sell popular gay dating app Grindr for about $608 million, ending a tumultuous four years under Chinese ownership. The app, originally developed in Los Angeles, raised national security concerns after it was acquired by Beijing Kunlun in 2016 for $93 million.

Is Grindr a Chinese company?

China-based Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. bought Grindr in 2016 and had hopes of taking the company public in a large stock offering until the U.S. government intervened.

Why does Grindr need phone number?

Like many other social networks, Grindr also attracts a huge number of spammers and bots who swamp users with unwanted messages. The main purpose of phone authentication is to prevent such profiles from spreading over the platform, but it also helps with detecting potential abusers and terminating their accounts.

What do the tribes mean on Grindr?

The update brings with it a number of changes, most notably the introduction of Tribes (a way to categorize yourself beyond just gay). These let users self-identify with various tribes (which include Bear, Clean-cut, Daddy, Discreet, Geek, Jock, Leather, Otter, Poz, Rugged, Trans and Twink).