Business

For some gays abroad, social networking poses risk

By David Crary
Published September 28, 2014 4:10pm ET
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For some gays abroad, social networking poses risk
ADVANCE FOR USE MONDAY, SEPT. 29, 2014, AND THEREAFTER- This undated product imaged provided by SCRUFF shows an example of the SCRUFF app. High-tech gay dating apps and social media services have enabled countless men to expand their circles of friends and lovers in settings that are hostile to any overt trace of homosexuality. Yet the same technology that they gratefully embrace exposes them to the risks of blackmail, arrest and violence. (AP Photo/SCRUFF) | uncredited

For gay men in the dozens of countries that criminalize their sex lives, social networking can be a blessing or a curse.

High-tech dating apps and social media have enabled countless men to expand their circles of friends and lovers in settings that are hostile to any overt trace of homosexuality. Yet the same technology that they gratefully embrace can expose them to the risk of blackmail, arrest and violence.

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LGBT Issues Social Media