Online Personals Watch: News on the Online Dating Industry and Business

Safety Tip for Online Dating Users

USA TODAY - Jan 21 - Grindr, OkCupid and Tinder were at the center of controversy last week when researchers accused the companies of disclosing highly personal information and breaking privacy laws. Each app denied many of the accusations. When users sign up for a dating app, "they're putting information out there that people can use against them. Whether it's hackers or predators," said Jo O'Reilly, a data privacy expert at ProPrivacy. And like many other tech sectors, dating apps are rife with data breaches.

Dating app tips from an Internet privacy expert:

• Be aware that free apps are more likely to sell your data.
• Use only your first name or a nickname.
• Don't give away your home address, work address, phone number or email address in private messages, or when signing up.
• Don't let other users persuade you to chat via another app like WhatsApp or Messenger.
• Turn off location settings, or use them sparingly.
• Use as little personal and identifiable information on your profile as possible.

by Dalwin Brown
See full article at USA Today

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Twitter Suspends Grindr From Its Ad Platform

ADAGE - Jan 15 - Twitter says it suspended Grindr, the gay dating app, from its ad network after a report revealed privacy concerns with how the app shared personal data with marketing partners. The new report, commissioned by the Norwegian Consumer Council, alleged that Grindr transmitted personal information on its ~3M daily users worldwide to ad tech partners, including Twitter's MoPub, which is a mobile ad network that helps apps make money by filling their ad inventory. The report also names other advertising platforms OpenX and AppNexus, which help brands bid on ads through platforms like MoPub to appear on apps like Grindr. The report calls for a fines of Twitter, OpenX, AppNexus and Grindr. Under the GDPR, the maximum fine for a violation is up to 4% of annual revenue. In Twitter's case, that would amount to $120M, based on $3B revenue from 2018.

by Garett Sloane
See full article at AdAge

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Grindr and OkCupid Spread Personal Details, Study Says

NEW YORK TIMES - Jan 13 - Popular dating services like Grindr, OkCupid and Tinder are spreading user information like dating choices and precise location to advertising and marketing companies in ways that may violate privacy laws, according to a new report released by the Norwegian Consumer Council, a government-funded nonprofit organization in Oslo. Grindr also sent a user's location to multiple companies, which may then share that data with many other businesses, the report said. OkCupid app sent a user's ethnicity and answers to personal profile questions to a firm that helps companies tailor marketing messages to users. OkCupid has recently posted a list of ~300 advertising and analytics "partners" with which it may share users' information. Tinder sent a user's gender and the gender the user was looking to date to two marketing firms. The Norwegian group said it filed complaints asking regulators in Oslo to investigate Grindr and five ad tech companies for possible violations of the European data protection law.

by Natasha Singer & Aaron Krolik
See full article at New York Times

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Sexual Health Programs Are Using Gay Dating Apps to Get Users Tested for HIV

NBC NEWS - Jan 6 - Wyckoff Heights Medical Center is thought to be the first health center in New York City to incorporate gay dating apps such as Grindr, Jack'd and Scruff into its sexual health efforts. Staffers interact with other users with their own account like a regular user would - except they offer sexual health services. The center says the innovative approach is working: Since its launch in 2016, the program has attracted ~300 clients to the facility, and at least one other community health clinic has launched a similar program. CAMBA, in Brooklyn, has seen similar success using gay dating apps to reach individuals at high-risk of HIV infection: From 2017 to 2018, 65% of its clients linked to PrEP or PEP services were reached through apps apps like Grindr.

by Arno Pedram
See full article at NBC News

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This Is the Hottest Time of Year for Online Dating

MARKETWATCH - Dec 31 - For many singles, the holidays are the loneliest time of year and, in the New Year, the $3B dating industry sees a surge in users. Zoosk typically sees a 20% jump in users in the first two weeks of the year and eHarmony sees a similar increase in mobile registrations since the holidays. Grindr usually experiences a 30%-plus increase in users over the holiday season. Match.com and OKCupid also see an uptick between Christmas and Valentine's Day. "Many singles sit around the family dinner table during the holidays and think, 'Maybe it would be better to have a partner," says Mark Brooks, a dating-industry analyst and the editor of Online Personals Watch. "That's when they start hitting dating sites in droves and go on dates before the indigestion sets in."

by Quentin Fottrell
See full article at Marketwatch

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Grindr to Offer Screenshot Blocking, Ability to 'Unsend' Pics

ADVOCATE - Dec 12 - Grindr has debuted new safety and security features, as well as a guide, to protect users in anti-LGBTQ countries. Grindr will now allow users to unsend messages and photographs from conversations with other users. The feature would allow a user to delete their own messages and pictures from a conversation, removing the content from both user's histories. Additionally, Grindr will also institute screenshot blocking for conversations, pictures, and profiles, in order to protect users in locations where being LGBTQ is illegal or may put them in danger.

by Daniel Reynolds
See full article at Advocate

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Gay Dating Apps Still Leaking Location Data

DENTON DAILY - Nov 27 - Some of the most popular gay dating apps, including Grindr, Romeo and Recon, have been exposing the exact location of their users, according to cyber-security researchers who were able to generate a map of users across London, revealing their precise locations. This problem and the associated risks have been known about for years but some of the biggest apps have still not fixed the issue. After the researchers shared their findings with the apps involved, Recon made changes – but Grindr and Romeo did not.

See full article at Denton Daily

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Grindr Still Wants to Go Public

WELLSTON JOURNAL - Nov 27 - Kunlun Tech, the Chinese company behind gay dating app says it will revive IPO plan after a U.S. national security panel dropped its opposition to the plan. Kunlun's efforts to sell Grindr outright were continuing even as the IPO preparations were relaunched. The IPO process becomes official when a company files a form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission to register their securities with the agency. At this point, the company has already secured a banker, such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, to underwrite their IPO.

See full article at Wellston Journal

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What Does Kunlun Want With Grindr?

LA MAGAZINE - Nov 7 - In 2016 when a largely unknown Chinese company dropped $93M to purchase a controlling stake in Grindr, the news caught everyone by surprise. Beijing Kunlun and Grindr were not an obvious match. In the spring of 2018, Kunlun was notified of a U.S. investigation into whether it was harnessing Grindr's user data for nefarious purposes. Then, in November last year, Grindr's new, Chinese-appointed, and heterosexual president, Scott Chen, ignited a firestorm among the app's mostly queer staff when he posted a Facebook comment indicating he is opposed to gay marriage. Now, sources say, even the FBI is breathing down Grindr's neck, reaching out to former employees for dirt about the demographics of the company, the security of its data, and the motivations of its owner. "The big question the FBI is trying to answer is: Why did this Chinese company purchase Grindr when they couldn't expand it to China or get any Chinese benefit from it?" says one former app executive. "Did they really expect to make money, or are they in this for the data?" The U.S. gave Kunlun a firm June deadline to sell to an American suitor. Grindr founder Joel Simkhai, who orchestrated the sale to Kunlun, declined to comment for this article, but one source says he's heartbroken by how everything has gone down.

by Steven Blum
See full article at LA Magazine

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Interview With BHOC Director Dan Wohlfeiler

OPW INTERVIEW - Oct 29 - TellYourPartner.org is a new STD prevention tool launched by Building Healthy Online Communities (BHOC). It allows users to anonymously text or email a sexual partner that they might be at risk of an STD. We have interviewed BHOC director Dan Wohlfeiler about how dating apps can help stop the spread of record high STD infections among their users.

What dating apps have signed up to assist?
Grindr includes the link to TYP in its sexual health FAQs. Daddyhunt is currently designing new reminders to get regular sexual health check-ups, and what tests those should include. GROWLr, Grindr, Adam4Adam, and Daddyhunt have incorporated suggestions on profile design related to sexual health options.

How are they working with TYP, and BHOC?
BHOC works closely with apps to help customize HIV and STD prevention strategies. We've worked with them to design profile options that help users exchange information about whether or not they are taking Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), have an undetectable viral load, and/or prefer to use condoms. This helps users make informed choices, and importantly, promotes norms about taking active steps to promote sexual health. BHOC has worked with apps to help users sign up for automatic testing reminders at their choice of three or six-month intervals. Based on app owners' requests, BHOC also developed an extensive sexual health information resource guide, and continues to update it regularly. We've also worked with apps to help inform users about outbreaks. We're also partnering closely with Grindr to promote home-based testing. We have also partnered with apps to produce public service announcements, and are developing a clearinghouse of campaigns for public health organizations to share. This will reduce their need to invest in developing new creative, freeing up more funds for ad placement.

What would you like to see dating apps support TYP and BHOC?
One key strategy is to regularly and consistently promote getting tested, and let people know about TYP and the other resources that BHOC has available. Our research shows that app users look favorably on apps that take proactive steps to support their health, so it's a win-win for the industry and for public health. Profiles should have options to enable users to exchange clear information about sexual health strategies. Dating apps can also show support by promoting our digital anti-stigma campaign, NiceAF.org, and by offering discounted ads for public health departments and non-profit organizations, all of which have extremely limited budgets.

How is BHOC funded at this stage?
BHOC has been funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Google, Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, and private donations. Additionally, our public health partners and apps have dedicated considerable time and energy in helping obtain and provide input from their members and users that guide our work. We're particularly grateful to those apps that have made changes in their platforms, such as profile options and testing reminders. They serve a life-saving role in the same way as banking curves on a freeway reduces automobile accidents. Once they're in place, they provide a huge benefit to the health of the entire community.

Grindr Harassment Case Won't Get Supreme Court Review

BLOOMBERGLAW - Oct 7 - Matthew Herrick, a Grindr user, won't get to argue to the U.S. Supreme Court that the dating app should be held liable for claims stemming from a fake profile that allegedly led hundreds of men to his home. The high court denied Matthew Herrick's petition to review a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruling tossing his allegations that the app lacked safety features to prevent fake profiles, and that it doesn't warn users the app could be used to harass them.

by Alexis Kramer
See full article at Bloomberg Law

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Top Dating Apps Worldwide for September

REPUBLIC WORLD - Oct 6 - Tinder was the most downloaded app in the online dating category during September 2019, according to research firm Sensor Tower. Tinder had close to 5.5M installs in September, resulting in a total of 4% increase from the same period last year. Badoo was the second most installed dating app worldwide. Tantan, MeetMe, and Happn rounded out the top five most installed dating apps worldwide for the month. Here is the full list of top 10 dating apps.

1. Tinder
2. Badoo
3. Tantan
4. MeetMe
5. Happn
6. Hily
7. Bumble
8. SKOUT
9. Grindr
10. Plenty of Fish

See full article at Republic World

Children Victims of Sex Crimes Linked to Dating Apps

SKY NEWS - Sep 17 - Children as young as six years old have been sexually groomed or assaulted after contact with adults on 18+ dating sites. Dating companies must do more to keep children off their sites. It is really easy for children and young people to be able to download sites like Tinder or Grindr onto their smartphones. Simon Bailey, chief constable of Norfolk police and national lead on child protection, said current verification systems were simply not robust enough. Tinder said it takes its duty of care seriously. "Tinder is for users 18+, and we use a network of industry-leading moderation tools - and spend millions of dollars annually - to prevent and remove minors from our app," said the app's spokesperson. The UK government's £30M boost to tackle online child exploitation will include more resources for the UK's Child Abuse Image Database (CAID), a resource that provides law enforcement agencies with tools to search seized devices for indecent images of children.

by Mark White
See full article at Sky News

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Racism on Grindr Is Bad for the Brain

OUT.COM - Sep 16 - A new study shows that racism on dating apps does real harm to mental health. The research is the result of a survey of ~1K men on Grindr. Researchers learned that race-based sexual discrimination was significantly associated with lower self-esteem and, in turn, lower life satisfaction. The data suggest that Latino, Middle Eastern, Indigenous/Pacific Islander, and multiracial participants experience significantly less discrimination than Asian and South Asian participants, which is consistent with other studies.

by Matt Baume
See full article at Out.com

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Top Dating News - New Laws, Herrick vs Grindr, Tinder/Bumble on-campus

OPW - Aug 20 - Here's the top dating news in ~2 minutes. Subscribe to Two Minute Tuesdays (TMT) on Youtube (and turn on notifications) or to the podcast on Breaker, Google podcasts, Spotify, Anchor or Stitcher. 

Grindr User Takes Stalking Case Against App to High Court

LAW360.COM - Aug 15 - Matthew Herrick, who claims Grindr was negligent in failing to stop his ex-boyfriend from using the dating app to stalk and harass him, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Second Circuit ruling dismissing his lawsuit, claiming Grindr should not be protected as a publisher under the Communications Decency Act. He has filed a petition seeking to revive the case, in which he accuses the app of failing to prevent the harassment despite nearly 50 reports with the company.

See full article at Law360

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Grindr and Romeo Can Expose User Locations

FAST COMPANY - Aug 8 - Researchers from the cyber-security company Pen Test Partners found that Grindr, Recon, and Romeo apps allow users to share their general location by displaying their distance from each other. Anyone with basic computing skills could use that information to determine another user's exact location using a method known as trilateration. The researchers created a tool that faked their own location and did all the trilateration calculations automatically, in bulk, allowing them to generate maps of precise user locations for thousands of individuals at a time.

by Michael Grothaus
See full article at Fast Company

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China's Kunlun to Relaunch Grindr IPO

REUTERS - July 28 - Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun is relaunching Grindr's IPO process after it said a U.S. national security panel had dropped its opposition to the plan. Beijing Kunlun was preparing for an IPO (IPO) of Grindr in September, but the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS), which reviews deals for potential national security concerns, intervened. At the request of U.S. officials, Kunlun that month agreed to sell the dating app. Grindr will be listed on a stock exchange outside China. Beijing Kunlun acquired a majority stake in Grindr in 2016 for $93M and bought out the remainder of the company in 2018.

by Meg Shen & Jan Harvey
See full article at Reuters

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Can Grindr Survive? Q&A With Grindr's Former Staff Writer

NPR.ORG - July 28 - Once a mainstay of queer culture, gay dating app Grindr is slipping at representing all aspects of LGBTQ people. NPR's Scott Simon speaks to journalist Mathew Rodriguez about why. He is a former staff writer at Grindr's own news site, Into.

See full article at NPR

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Top Dating News - Grindr, Tinder, Meetme

OPW - July 23 - Here's the top dating news in ~2 minutes. Subscribe to Two Minute Tuesdays (TMT) on Youtube (and turn on notifications) or listen on Anchor as a podcast.