Grindr's Chinese owner says to sell dating app for $608 mn after US diktat

Grindr describes itself as the world's largest social networking app for gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.

Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech Co Ltd said on Friday that it has agreed to sell Grindr LLC, a popular gay dating app it acquired in 2016, for about $608.5 million.

The deal comes after a US government panel asked Kunlun to divest itself of Grindr. The panel, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), has not disclosed its concerns about Kunlun's ownership of Grindr.

However, the United States has been increasingly scrutinizing app developers over the safety of personal data they handle, especially if some of it involves US military or intelligence personnel.

Kunlun said it agreed to