GuySpy is a location based online

social network A social network is a social structure consisting of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), networks of Dyad (sociology), dyadic ties, and other Social relation, social interactions between actors. The social network per ...

, gay

dating app An online dating application, commonly known as a dating app, is an online dating service presented through a mobile phone application. These apps often take advantage of a smartphone's GPS location capabilities, always on-hand presence, and acc ...

. It is available on Android,

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

and via

web browser A web browser, often shortened to browser, is an application for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's scr ...

. The app uses location based services like GPS to connect

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

, bi and

curious Curiosity (from Latin , from "careful, diligent, curious", akin to "care") is a quality related to inquisitive thinking, such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident in humans and other animals. Curiosity helps human development, ...

men. Through their platform users are able to create profiles with detailed descriptions and with multiple photos. They are able to chat with guys around them, and send additional photos, have video messaging and provide their exact location. There is a voice option within the app as well. The app is similar to

Grindr Grindr () is a location-based social networking and online dating application for gay, bisexual, queer, and transgender people. It was one of the first geosocial apps for gay men when it launched in March 2009, and has since become the large ...

, GuySpy also has a map feature that allows the users to search for other guys in other towns and cities.

History

The app was officially launched in 2011 for GayWhistler's WinterPride festival. In 2013, GuySpy launched The PEARL Pride Party app, which was helping users to keep up to date, build and maintain a personal schedule, share information via social networks related to global LGBT pride events and circuit parties. The app was founded in 2010 originally by Stark Mobile and was purchased by

Pink Triangle Press Pink Triangle Press is an independent, Canadian media organization specializing in LGBTQ2S+ journalism, television and online interactive media. Founded in 1971, Pink Triangle Press is one of the longest-publishing LGBTQ2S+ media groups in the wo ...

in 2017.

Controversies

GuySpy has run into difficulties with

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

's Community Standards several times. In 2012 their Facebook page was blocked for over 30 days, and later they posted an image of a nude man and it was taken down within few hours. GuySpy has challenged Facebook's community standards, considering them to be homophobic as they allowed similar images that showed women. The app's 2013 billboard campaign in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

received complaints. The complainant alleged that the advertisement offended standards of public decency. The ad was showing two men, one sitting on the other's back with the phrase "Taste the difference" According to the council's opinion the words crossed the line of the acceptability of Clause 14.

References

{{LGBT social networking services LGBTQ social networking services LGBTQ online dating services Geosocial networking Social networking services Mobile social software Online dating services Online dating services of Canada Online dating applications iOS software Android (operating system) software

History

Controversies

See also

References