Software:Recon (app)
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| Developer(s) | T101 |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 1999 |
| Operating system | iOS, Android, Web |
| Type | Dating app |
| Website | www |
Recon is a location-based online dating application and service specifically for gay men interested in fetish and kink.[1] It launched as a website in 1999,[2][3] and as an iOS app in 2010.[4] It has 189,000 active users as of 2018.[3]
Like many other gay dating apps, such as Grindr and Scruff, Recon allows users to create a profile, communicate with other members through private messages, and filters members by location and interests.[5] Unlike those apps, Recon started as a website, with some features, such as the ability to view a user's public x-rated photos, solely available on the website due to Apple's policy on adult content.[6]
One notable feature is the ability to filter members by their declared fetishes and kinks.[5] The broad categories include bondage,[7] fisting,[8] leather,[9] rubber, bears,[8] bikers, chastity, suits,[10] feet, gunge,[8] watersports,[8] and sports gear.
Recon is owned and operated by T101, the company who also produce Fetish Week London.[11][12]
Events and publications
Recon produces a number of fetish events for members and non-members, in cities including London[13] and Paris.
Recon has produced two issues of a magazine, with high-quality photography and articles from the fetish community, which is distributed for free at gay venues.[14][15]
Controversies
Removal from YouTube
In 2016, Recon's YouTube channel was removed due to allegedly breaching adult content policies. A day after BuzzFeed News approached YouTube with questions about the removal, the channel was reinstated.[16]
Effect on leather bars, sex clubs and saunas
Some have claimed that gay dating apps have a negative impact on local businesses such as gay bars, and that Recon's widespread usage[17][18] by fetishmen has reduced business in leather bars, sex clubs and saunas.[19][20] However, many businesses actively promote their businesses on Recon to appeal to local customers.
Location data leaks
In 2019, researchers at Pen Test Partners demonstrated to BBC News how it was possible to locate the exact location of a Recon user without their consent, along with users of other apps, through a process of trilateration. However Recon was praised for taking immediate steps to rectify the fault much faster than some other apps.[21][22]
References
- ↑ Martel, Frédéric. "Grindr, blackmail and confession: The life of a gay seminarian". The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/grindr-blackmail-and-confession-the-life-of-a-gay-seminarian-1.3808475.
- ↑ Hudson, David (2016-01-12). "Recon Gay Dating App launch ad campaign on phoneboxes". https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/recon-launch-outdoor-campaign-on-phoneboxes-fetish-is-a-normal-part-of-gay-lifestyle/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Recon Advertising Guide". 2018. https://t101.com/docs/recon-advertising-guide-2018.pdf.
- ↑ "Gay Fetish Site Recon.com launches iPhone app". https://social.techcrunch.com/2010/05/27/gay-fetish-site-recon-com-launches-iphone-app/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "There's a gay fetish app that holds events all around the world". 2018-12-07. https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/12/07/recon-gay-fetish-app/.
- ↑ Fox, Chris (2019-01-30). "Gay dating app Scruff bans underwear pics". BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47056759.
- ↑ Savage, Dan (5 September 2018). "'Help, my Recon hookup said no thanks after I'd blown $40 on rope and duct tape!'". https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/dan-savage-love-bondage-recon-hookup-mr-san-francisco/Content?oid=57238901.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Kinky Dating App | Recon Review" (in en). 2023-06-26. https://www.fetish.com/magazine/kinky-dating-site-reviews/recon-app-review/.
- ↑ AnotherMan (13 February 2019). "The Sexy, Secret History of Leather Fetish Fashion". https://www.anothermanmag.com/style-grooming/10715/the-sexy-secret-history-of-leather-fetish-fashion.
- ↑ "There's a growing community who are thirsty for Dominic Raab and he doesn't deserve a jot of it". June 2019. https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/dominic-raab-voting-record.
- ↑ "T101 - Creating Deeper Connections". https://t101.com/.
- ↑ Team, Q. X. (2019-06-26). "QX GUIDE: Fetish Week London". https://www.qxmagazine.com/2019/06/qx-guide-fetish-week-london/.
- ↑ "Recon London – Boyz". https://boyz.co.uk/tag/recon-london/.
- ↑ ras (2 March 2020). "Fetish Focus: Confidence in Gear - Recon team member: OhBilly". https://www.qxmen.com/feature/fetish-focus-confidence-in-gear-recon-team-member-ohbilly/.
- ↑ "RECON, Issue_02". https://www.regulation.co.uk/recon-issue-02-p03467.html.
- ↑ White, Alan (26 May 2016). "YouTube Reinstates Gay Fetish Website's Videos After Claims Of Anti-Gay Bias". https://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/youtube-reinstates-gay-fetish-websites-videos-after-claims-o.
- ↑ Savage, Dan (7 February 2018). "How does one get into the gay BDSM bottoming scene?". https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/dan-savage-love-gay-bdsm-bottoming-scene-bears/Content?oid=40638660.
- ↑ "Savage Love: Bondage is the great gay-tribe unifier". 2019-06-26. https://www.straight.com/life/1259426/savage-love-bondage-great-gay-tribe-unifier.
- ↑ Siddons, Edward (2018-10-04). "Why is the gay leather scene dying?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/oct/04/why-is-gay-leather-scene-dying.
- ↑ "This Crew Is Keeping London's Gay Fetish Scene Alive". 23 November 2016. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/yve5mk/this-london-crew-is-helping-to-keep-its-gay-fetish-scene-alive.
- ↑ Fox, Chris (2019-08-08). "Gay dating apps still leaking location data". BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49265245.
- ↑ "Grindr and Romeo among gay dating apps leaking location data". 2019-08-09. https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/08/09/grindr-romeo-recon-gay-dating-apps-leak-location-data/.
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