That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Same-sex marriage is illegal, while hate crimes against LGBT give no protection to visitors. The process of coming out, which is a powerful, personal moment in some of Western countries, almost never happens in Indonesia, for fear or social backlash and shunning. The Indonesian government has been harassed by the Human Rights Watch and other human rights’ organizations for not standing up for the rights of citizens in the last few years. As recently as 2017, 141 men were arrested for attending a ‘gay sex party’ in Jakarta while another 51 were taken into custody at a sauna located in the same city. These actions and the overriding bias make it a no-brainer that a dating application like Grindr would be banned in Indonesia. But just because the government censors it does not meant that Grindr is off-limits to interested parties.
What is Grindr?
Grindr is a mobile networking app based on geolocation. Its primary purpose is to help gay and bisexual meet each other in the same area and it is available in both the Apple App Store, Google Play, and the ITunes App Store. Using smartphones’ geolocation function it can locate other users in the same area and let users swipe their pictures for a brief look at a profile. From there they can interact with chats, send photos, and eventually meet face to face should they chose. It is currently the largest and most popular gay mobile app community in the world, available in close to 200 countries. It was launched in March 2009 and reached 3.6 million users online daily by early 2018. Even countries where homosexuality is traditionally frowned upon have burgeoning Grindr communities. In 2011, Grindr launched Blendr, which is an app for all sexual orientations and includes features for finding “non-sexual friendships”.
The VPN workaround for Grindr
The remote server decrypts any web requests sent by the client then attaches a local IP address to the request and sends it on to the Internet. In the case of Grindr, the remote IP address guarantees that lndonesian watchdogs will not realize the connection is coming from inside their own country. Thus, it is safe to browse Grindr safely while located in Indonesia. The process to setting up your VPN to access Grindr in Indonesia is as follows:
Best VPNs for Grindr in Indonesia
1. NordVPN — Premium VPN With Cheap Prices on Long-Term Plans
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market — and you can get super cheap prices when you sign up for a long-term subscription. One thing to note, however, is that when it’s time to renew your subscription, prices do increase quite significantly. I did, however, have issues with using NordVPN’s native Fire TV app. Although it worked and unblocked some streaming services, it sometimes had issues unblocking Netflix US and kept crashing. I also found that NordVPN’s user interface for desktop devices was less user-friendly than ExpressVPN and CyberGhost. NordVPN has the following security and privacy features:
AES 256-bit encryption A kill switch that cuts your internet access if your connection to a VPN server drops suddenly Built-in ad and malware blocker, so you don’t need a third-party ad blocker Fully audited no-logs policy (audited by PwC) – NordVPN doesn’t store any personal or identifying data while you’re connected to the VPN
In addition, NordVPN includes Threat Protection that protects you from viruses, infected websites, and trackers – and it works whenever you have the NordVPN app open, even if you’re not connected to a VPN server. You can stream, torrent, and browse for free for up to 30 days with NordVPN’s money-back guarantee. It has plans that cost as little as $3.69 per month. To ensure that you’ll really get your money back, I tested NordVPN’s money-back guarantee. At first, the support team tried to give me an extended trial period — but they initiated my refund right away after I told them I wasn’t interested in the extension. I got my money back in 6 business days. NordVPN works on: Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Chromebook, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Fire Stick, and Android TV
2. Surfshark — Best Value for Money with Unlimited Device Connections and Fast Speeds
Surfshark offers the best value for money out of every premium VPN on the market. You can connect an unlimited number of devices with a single subscription (which means you can connect your entire family and even friends!). I tested Surfshark’s unlimited connections on 2 PCs, 2 phones, a Fire Stick 4K, and an iPad. My connection remained reliable on all 6 devices. Even while I was actively streaming on all my devices, my average speed was 112 Mbps — fast enough for UltraHD quality. When I saw the price of this service, I thought it couldn’t possibly have top-grade security features for such a low price, but I was pleasantly surprised. Surfshark has the following security and privacy features:
AES 256-bit encryption on all devices, with ChaCha encryption available for Android users Wireguard VPN protocol enabled by default Diskless, RAM-only servers to protect your privacy (no data can be physically extracted from any servers) Kill switch (although this isn’t enabled by default) IP and DNS leak protection
Surfshark offers two-factor authentication (2FA) on your account. This feature requires you to enter an extra code before you can log in to ensure that only you (and those you share your account with) can access your account. While Surfshark does have slightly fewer global servers than rivals such as CyberGhost and PIA, I didn’t experience any issues during my tests. I easily connected fast working servers every time, and I had excellent speeds for streaming Netflix in Ultra HD, downloading torrents, and browsing the internet. You can try Surfshark for yourself with the 30-day money-back guarantee. It has plans that cost as little as $2.05. Requesting a refund is easy with Surfshark’s live chat feature. Although the support team asked why I wanted to cancel my subscription, I had no problem getting my money back (and it only took 4 days!). Surfshark works on: Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, Linux, Fire Stick, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, Android TV, Kodi, and selected routers
3. PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN stresses security above all else and is a strong VPN for mobile. It has 2048-bit encryption, an automatic kill switch, and built-in leak protection. It also is a great VPN for torrenting, with P2P functionality and port forwarding at its disposal.
4. SaferVPN
SaferVPN supports multiple forms of encryption, including PPTP, l2TP/IPSec, IKEv2, and the always-popular OpenVPN. With 760 servers in more than 35 countries, SaferVPN is a strong candidate to work well with Grindr in Indonesia. It also has a no-logs policy to reduce the threat of ever being tracked.
