Fitlads was a social networking, [1] dating/hookup website and app for gay and bisexual men in the United Kingdom. [2] [3] [4] [5] It was launched in April 2003, and introduced video to the app in 2008. [2] [6]
The website was geared towards stereotypical " straight-acting" working-class " chav" or "scally"-type " lads", as well as those with a fetish for sports kits or bondage. [2] [7] It had a rating system for videos, which was seen by scholar David G. Kreps as communicating more "about sex ... than it is about sex itself". [6]
Between 2014 and 2015, the website was one of those used by the serial killer Stephen Port as a means of initially contacting his victims. [8] He also maintained accounts on Sleepyboy, Grindr, Hornet, Badoo, Gaydar, Flirt, DaddyHunt, PlanetRomeo, Manhunt, Slaveboys and CouchSurfing. [9]
The parent-company behind Fitlads, "FL ONLINE LIMITED", was dissolved on 24 November 2020, [10] and the fitlads.net website no-longer loads.
The final-capture made of the fitlads.net homepage by the Wayback Machine was on 10 August 2020, [11] with new.fitlads.net (a sub-domain where users would log into the site) last-captured on 15 February 2020, [12] suggesting the site went offline sometime in 2020.
Fitlads was a social networking, [1] dating/hookup website and app for gay and bisexual men in the United Kingdom. [2] [3] [4] [5] It was launched in April 2003, and introduced video to the app in 2008. [2] [6]
The website was geared towards stereotypical " straight-acting" working-class " chav" or "scally"-type " lads", as well as those with a fetish for sports kits or bondage. [2] [7] It had a rating system for videos, which was seen by scholar David G. Kreps as communicating more "about sex ... than it is about sex itself". [6]
Between 2014 and 2015, the website was one of those used by the serial killer Stephen Port as a means of initially contacting his victims. [8] He also maintained accounts on Sleepyboy, Grindr, Hornet, Badoo, Gaydar, Flirt, DaddyHunt, PlanetRomeo, Manhunt, Slaveboys and CouchSurfing. [9]
The parent-company behind Fitlads, "FL ONLINE LIMITED", was dissolved on 24 November 2020, [10] and the fitlads.net website no-longer loads.
The final-capture made of the fitlads.net homepage by the Wayback Machine was on 10 August 2020, [11] with new.fitlads.net (a sub-domain where users would log into the site) last-captured on 15 February 2020, [12] suggesting the site went offline sometime in 2020.