AT MATTHEW HERRICK'S HOUSE FOR SEX.
HERRICK SAYS THAT HIS EX IS CREATING FAKE PROFILES ON
THE GAME BISEXUAL DATING GRINDR AND SORT OF SOLICITING THE
SEX AND SEND PEOPLE TO HIS HOME INTO HIS OFFICE.
HE IS NOW ACTUALLY SUING GRINDR SAYING IT IS THEIR FAULT
FOR NOT SHUTTING DOWN THE SNAKE ACCOUNTS.
AN EX-BOYFRIEND OF HERRICK TO HE SAYS HE MET ON GRINDR HAS
ALLEGEDLY BEEN CREATING FAKE ACCOUNT SINCE OCTOBER 2016.
THE ACCOUNTS HAVE HERRICK'S PHOTOS AND PERSONAL DETAILS
IN COURTING SOME FALSEHOODS LIKE SOME CLAIMS THAT HE IS
HIV-POSITIVE.
THE X ALLEGEDLY INVITES MEN'S TO HERRICK'S APARTMENT IN THE
RESTAURANT WHERE HE WORKS, SOMETIMES AS MANY AS 16
STRANGERS EACH DAY WILL SHOW UP LOOKING FOR HIM IN SOME
INSTANCES, THEY ARE TOLD NOT TO BE DISSUADED IF HE IS RESISTANT
AT FIRST, AS PART OF AGREED-UPON RAPE FANTASY OR ROLE-PLAYS.
NOW HE IS FILING A COMPLAINT AGAINST GRINDR AND ACCORDING TO
THE COMPLAINT, THEREBY MORE THAN 100 REPORTS LIKING THE FAKE
PROFILES AND GRINDRS AT RESULTING IN ONLY GENERIC
REPLIES FROM THE ABSENT THINK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT.
I ONCE AGAIN TO SOME OF THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT
GRINDR MIGHT ACTUALLY BE LIABLE FOR, BUT FIRST I WANT TO
GET INTO HOW AWFUL THIS IS.
THIS IS HARASSMENT.
IN A LOT OF STATES IT IS ILLEGAL TO CREATE A FAKE PROFILE
AND IMPERSONATE SOMEONE FOR THIS PURPOSES OF CYBER BULLYING
AND THIS IS NOT JUST EVEN THE CYBER BULLYING, THIS IS
FLAT-OUT BULLYING AND HARASSMENT.
I DON'T TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHY HE IS GOING AFTER GRINDR
AND NOT THE EX-BOYFRIEND BUT GRINDR IS PROTECTED BY SECTION
230 OF THE 1996 COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT WHICH IS UNIQUE
LEGAL PROTECTION IS A BROAD LAYER OF IMMUNITY TO ONLINE
COMPANIES FOR BEING HELD LIABLE FOR USER GENERATED CONTENT.
HERRICK'S ATTORNEY SAY THAT COMPANIES DON'T DESERVE
SPECIAL PROTECTIONS WHEN THEIR PRODUCT IS DANGEROUS IN SECTION
230 DOESN'T GIVE THEM PROTECTION IN SUCH CASES.
FURTHER THEY SAID THAT IF A COURT WON'T HOLD GRINDR
RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING A DANGEROUS PRODUCT WE NEED
TO EXAMINE THE LIABILITY OF THE SELLERS THAT ARE MAKING
AVAILABLE A DANGEROUS PRODUCT.
GRINDR IS CLAIMING THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE
TECHNOLOGY TO DO FACE DETECTION AND FIGURE OUT WHICH PROBLEMS
ARE FAKE OR NOT AND WHICH ONES ARE IMPERSONATING BUT I
WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS.
A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS.
1ST LET ME MAKE SOME SERIOUS COMMENTS BEFORE I GET ONTO
INAPPROPRIATE THING I'M GOING TO SAY.
WELCOME TO THE YOUNG TURKS.
ON A SERIOUS NOTE, IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT THIS IS NOT
ILLEGAL AND UNFORTUNATELY, ESPECIALLY IMPERSONATING
THE GUYS NOT ILLEGAL.
I THINK THAT SAYING COME AND RAPE ME AND IT'S A FANTASY,
I WOULD URGE PROSECUTORS LOOK AT A LITTLE HARDER THERE.
I THINK THAT PROBABLY IS ILLEGAL AND IF IT ISN'T, IT SHOULD
BE MADE ILLEGAL IMMEDIATELY.
THAT'S A NO-BRAINER.
I THINK THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF
THE STORY BECAUSE IT IS ONE THING TO PULL A PRANK AND IT
GOES ON FOR A DAY AND THEN YOU GO OKAY, FINE, I WAS DOING AT.
DON'T DO THAT.
ITíS STUPID.
THERE SHOWING UP TO HIS WORK IN HIS HOUSE LIKE HE IS GOING
TO BE FREAKED OUT.
IT'S AMERICA, WHAT IF HE IS A GUN AND THESE CHANGES COME
TO HIS HOUSE AND HE DOESN'T EXPECT IT.
THE TERRIBLE IDEA BUT TO DO IT SYSTEMATICALLY OVER AND OVER
AND TO TELL PEOPLE TO COME AND RAPE ME IT IS NOT CUTE OR FUNNY.
IT IS NOT ANYTHING.
THAT SHOULD BE CLEARLY ILLEGAL.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT HAPPENS TO A WOMAN OR IN THIS CASE
A GUIDE THAT IT IS HORRIFIC EITHER WAY.
ON THE ISSUE OF WHY HE IS GOING AFTER GRINDR THAT YOU ASKED.
BECAUSE WONDER HAS MONEY.
THE GUY HE WAS DOING IT PROBABLY DOESN'T.
IF THERE IS NO CRIMINAL PROTECTION THEN HE CAN'T BRING
HIM TO COURT OR HAVE THEM GET ARRESTED AND AGAIN, WE ARE NOT
POSITIVE ABOUT THE RATE PART, ENCOURAGING THE RATE THAT WE
KNOW THAT THERE IS NO LOSS AT THIS POINT IN THE STATE THAT
THEY ARE IN ABOUT IMPERSONATING SOMEONE AND THEN IF YOU GO
AFTER AND CIVILLY, HE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH MONEY.
UK GRINDR, THEY HAVE MONEY.
IS NOT THE ONLY REASON.
THEY MIGHT THINK LISTEN, GRINDRS NOT STOPPING IT AND 16
DUDES ARE SHOWING UP HER DAY AT MY HOUSE ETC.
SO IT IS AN
INTERESTING CASE.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
IT'S NOT ILLEGAL TO IMPERSONATE BUT IT IS WITH THE INTENT OF
CYBER BULLYING DONE THIS CASE IT IS NOT JUST CYBER BULLYING I
GUESS BECAUSE IT IS NOT NECESSARILY THEM INTERACTING
ONLINE BUT HE IS GIVING PEOPLE HIS ADDRESS TO BOTH HIS
HOME AND WORKPLACE.
THIS IS POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS.
THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME SORT OF LEGAL INDICATION WITHIN THAT.
A VERY STATE-BY-STATE.
THAT IS WHY.
BUT IF I AM THIS GUY.
I'M TALKING TO THE PROSECUTORS NONSTOP ABOUT THE DIFFERENT
POSSIBLE LAWS THAT HE MIGHT BE VIOLATING HERE AND
REMEMBER, HE'S GOING AROUND TELLING PEOPLE HE IS HIV.
YOUR DEFAMATION, GETTING OUT AT THE
I THINK THE LAW NEEDS TO BE IN STEP WITH TECHNOLOGY HERE.
AND I DO THINK THEY HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY DOCK WRITER DOES HAVE
THE TECHNOLOGY TO FLAG THESE CONCERNS AND NOT JUST SEND A
GENERAL THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT SO I THINK THAT IS AN
EXCUSE AND I THINK IT IS INTERESTING THAT THEY SAY THAT
IT GRINDR WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE THEY WOULD START
GOING AFTER SOME OF THE APPS THAT HOUSE OR MAKE GRINDR
AVAILABLE AND I WONDER WHAT RECOURSE THEY HAVE TO PURSUEÖ
THAT'S A REALLY SPLIT BECAUSE THEY SAY HEY LOOK, IF
GRINDR HAS THE TECHNOLOGY BUT CERTAINLY THE TECHNOLOGY
EXISTS AND PROBABLY GRINDR IS THINKING THAT'S GOING TO
COST A LOT OF MONEY AND THAT IDLE HAVE ANY MARGIN ANYMORE.
BUT I'M ALSO UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SAYING YOU HAVE A REALLY
BAD ACTOR HERE WHO IS USING YOUR PRODUCT.
I MAKE HAMMERS, I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GUY WHO USES
THE HAMMER TO BASH SOMEBODY'S HEAD IN GRINDR, FOR A LOT
OF FOLKS IS A WONDERFUL PRODUCT AND NOT AT ALL DANGEROUS
WAS SUPER FUN.
SO I KIND OF UNDERSTAND GRINDRS POSITION 2.
I'M VERY CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THE COURTS ARE GOING TO SETTLE IT.
I AGREE WITH YOU.
AND THINK IT'S MAKING AVAILABLE DANGEROUS PRODUCT THAT YOU
COULD SAY FACEBOOK HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER FORMS
OF BULLYING AND HARASSMENT THAT START YOU WOULDN'T HOLD
FACEBOOK ACCOUNTABLE.
SOME PEOPLE TRY BUT I VOTE NO ON THAT.
I AGREE.
WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO THE BEST OF THE COMPANY'S ABILITIES
TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY TAKE IT DOWN AND HAVE SAFEGUARDS
AND IF THE LAWSUIT WINDS UP HELPING GRINDR TO GET THOSE
SAFEGUARDS, THAT IS PROBABLY A GOOD THING AND WHY A LOT OF
TIMES LAWSUITS ARE UNDERRATED FOR THE CHANGE THAT THEY
COULD EFFECTUATE.
FINALLY, THE INAPPROPRIATE THING THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY:
BEING A STRAIGHT GUY, JESUS, MAN.
LOOK, HE IS PROBABLY A GOOD LOOKING GUY OR WHATEVER BUT
SOMETIMES I ENVY GAY GUYS.
16 PEOPLE A DAY?
THAT IS AMAZING.
THAT IS TOO MUCH.
IT'S TERRIBLE, IT'S DISASTROUS.
REGARDLESS IF YOU ARE STRAIGHT OR GAY,
UNSOLICITED SEX OR PEOPLE IS BAD.
OF COURSE, THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM SAYING.
I'M SAYING IF HE HAD PUT THE PICTURES UP HIMSELF, HE
APPARENTLY COULD'VE GONE 16 GUIDES THE
WE DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS WERE
AND I FEEL LIKE IT IS THE EX.
ITíS PETTY AND RIDICULOUS.
HE WORKED HARD AT THOSE INVITATIONS.
YOU DON'T NEED 16.
BUT ALSO, HOW SCARY TO HAVE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO YOUR
HOUSE TO THINK THEY'RE GOING TO PLAY OUT A RAPE FANTASY.
I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT SHEER NUMBERS HERE.
I'M JUST SAYING IF IT WAS VOLUNTARY, THE SCOPE OF THE
SUCCESS YOU COULD HAVE IS FASCINATING ON GRINDR IF
YOU WERE SO INCLINED.
BUT MAYBE THE STRAIGHT GUYS THESE DAYS ARE GETTING 16 PEOPLE
TOO AND I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE
REGARDING ANYONE IN APP.
YEAH, NO, NO, NO DOUBT WE DON'T.
THE THING WE ALL AGREE ON.
IF IT'S NOT VOLUNTARY IT
IS DISASTROUS.