Smartphone To Detect HIV Infection
Online activist Thy Sovantha, 19, (L) and her friend use their mobile phones and social media in a cafe in Phnom Penh December 11, 2014. Security camera footage of the shooting of businessman Ung Meng Cheu went viral in Cambodia, illustrating the burgeoning power of social media in a youthful country where internet usage has soared in recent years. The internet's popularity poses both a threat and an opportunity to iron-fisted Prime Minister Hun Sen, who in January 2015 celebrated 30 years in power. Picture taken December 11, 2014. REUTERS/Samrang Pring Reuters/Samrang Pring

Famous dating apps Tinder and Grindr have been targeted in a billboard ad promoting free check-ups for sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The billboard was spotted at La Brea, just off the 10 in Los Angeles, with the ad in itself quite shocking. However, it did accomplish its mission of getting the public's attention.

AIDS Health Foundation and FreeSTDCheck.org leveraged the popularity of today's widely used dating apps to get out their message and convince people to get themselves checked for a sexually transmitted disease. This is despite there being no scientific evidence to prove that using such apps will cause an STD, as pointed out by Tech Crunch, although considering the apps promote dating, whatever happens as a result of their use, such as meet-ups or sexual relations, could potentially cause the dreaded diseases.

The use of Tinder and Grindr in the billboard ad could be a result of a recently published article on Vanity Fair, "Tinder and the Dawn of the Dating Apocalypse," which had kicked off the craziest brand meltdown in Twitter history. In a series of angry tweets, Tinder called out article writer Nancy Jo Sales for suggesting the app had heralded a "dating apocalypse", claiming via its verified account that "If you want to try to tear us down with one-sided journalism, well, that’s your prerogative".

As of the moment, it remains unclear precisely how Grindr and Tinder clientele are affected by this billboard ad.

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