Just had a conversation with someone in Egypt about accessing Grindr. Apparently, the police will arrest you for homosexuality, and they use Grindr to perform sting operations.

I'm curious why the local government doesn't just access their mobile internet traffic logs, instead of setting up entire sting operations.

The officers then have a legitimate reason for using grinder, catch a few on-duty, and pound a few off-duty.

The same way humans have always done things under the noses of their oppressers. Hidden languages, signs, handshakes, passwords, hidden messages in pictures and books.

You can never truly keep someone from being who they are to their core. A gay man will be a gay man the same way a straight man will be straight man. Be it in the shadows, behind closed doors, or on the balcony for the world to see.
Humans will find a way to be who they are inside.

So, if you’re gay, there would be a clear incentive to become a cop. If another gay guy breaks your heart one day, you can just throw him in jail as a part of doing your job.

At the RNC

There are apparently Alcoholics Anonymous types of programs for gay people who want to get rid of those urges. They go to meetings to have prayer sessions and stuff like that. It's all with up-front intentions, but what ends up happening is these things always invariably turn into gay dating services. Heh.

If you want to break any law, you have a clear incentive to be a cop. That's always been true.

Isn't there a movie about exactly this situation?

My guess would be, the same strategies, every repressed community would use since ever.
As for why governments don't use net logs, my assumption is, that those are not what they are after. Meeting might not be illegal, just same sex acts which are needed too be "caught in the act".

1. I've read an article long time ago from an expat in, I think Saudi Arabia, in which he described how he tested grindr and got a match. When meeting with them, he got a bad feeling and stepped back.
2. There's a a (sci-fi) novel with that premise, called "ABC Zhang". It basically used the points, what others have told here: Mostly secret signs, that those who know, know.

Really? I should totally watch that.

I don't remember the name though. Might also have been a different kind if media

Even when you want to shoot some pigs? I always thought that being a mafia boss would be ideal for that.

Heh, ok. I mean literally yes to your question also, you'd just need to be a little sneakier than cops normally are when they're corrupt