With Facebook coming under the scanner over lax personal data, a dating app in the US is facing flak for the same reason. Grindr, which claims to be the world’s largest dating app for the LGBT community, was earlier praised for promoting regular HIV testing and status disclosure
Under fire for sharing HIV status
The California-based dating app, which claims 3.6 million daily active users globally, confirmed it had been sharing users’ personal data—including HIV status—with third party software vendors
‘VIOLATION OF TRUST AND PRIVACY’
Grindr chief technology officer Scott Chen sought to distance the dating app’s public relations mishap from the Facebook scandal, calling the sharing no more than “industry standard practice.” He said Apptimize and Localytics, the companies that used Grindr’s data, were simply tasked with software optimisation and “under strict contractual terms that provide for the highest level of confidentiality, data security, and user privacy”
But a wave of advocacy organisations and users say the revelations are a serious violation of trust and privacy— with some worrying the news could undercut recommendations from HIV prevention experts to regularly get tested and disclose HIV status with potential sexual partners
BREAKING TABOO AROUND A KILLER DISEASE
Last year, Grindr became a space for users to freely share their HIV status, according to a report in Vox. The company said it provided users with that option to “foster an open dialogue” about sexual health. Last month, Grindr came up with a new feature which allowed users to receive reminders to get tested for HIV every three or six months. Now, after the backlash, the company said it would not share HIV status with third parties
AIDES, a French organisation, called for boycotting Grindr but emphasised sharing HIV status on a dating app before meeting can “allow HIVpositive people to avoid a possible rejection when they announce it verbally”