According to Lebanese media, Israeli profiles are being matched with Lebanese profiles (and perhaps Syrians as well). Following the events of October 7, the IDF jammed GPS navigation in the country's north, ramping up "interference with the satellite navigation systems in the region in an attempt to thwart drone and unmanned aircraft attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah."
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While GPS disruptions prevent terrorist groups from directing accurate rocket fire from Lebanon, many civilians have reported GPS-related issues on social media and dating apps. Lebanese Tinder users complained that their feed comprises almost 60% Israeli users. One Lebanese user claimed he no longer uses the app for this reason.
"This is affecting not only dating apps but also different apps that have access to GPS to identify the user's location," Abed Al Kataya, a media program manager at a digital rights organization in Beirut, told The National. "Interfering with GPS also endangers civilian and commercial maritime and aerial traffic, potentially causing navigation failures."
Even reservists stationed on the northern border are subjected to Lebanese profiles. An IDF soldier posted a story on Facebook and said that when Israel locates Nasrallah, he would like to join and meet his new matches.
Another Lebanese dating app user named Omar said that while he has previously seen the occasional Israeli profile, the frequency has recently increased. "I keep seeing them, and they're absolutely gorgeous, but I can't do anything because we're divided by a wall of apartheid and a genocidal army that doesn't take too well to Arabs," he said.
Lebanese nationals are prohibited by law from engaging with Israelis as Beirut refuses to recognize the Jewish state, which it regards as an enemy state.