THE PINK NEWS - Grindr has disabled its "explore" function in the Paris Olympic village to protect athletes' privacy. This measure aims to prevent competitors from being outed or harassed. Similar restrictions were previously implemented during the Beijing and Rio Olympics to ensure safety and privacy for LGBTQ+ athletes.
442 posts categorized "Grindr"
Grindr Blocks Explore Function in Paris Olympic Village
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Grindr CEO Discusses AI's Impact on Workforce and Founder Mindset
FORTUNE - At Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference, Grindr CEO George Arison emphasized his lifelong drive to achieve the impossible. Arison, a veteran tech founder and former Google employee, joined Grindr after its 2022 IPO and is one of the few openly LGBTQ+ CEOs. He highlighted the essential qualities of arrogance and craziness for founders, echoing entrepreneur Steve Blank's view that founders are often seen as hallucinating visionaries driven to realize their ideas. Arison believes AI will drastically change the workforce, reducing the number of employees needed to build a successful company. Due to AI's capabilities, he envisions companies achieving significant revenue with fewer employees. However, he stressed that human employees will remain crucial, with each team member's contributions becoming more vital alongside synthetic workers.
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Tinder and Bumble are Tanking Because They Treat Men Badly, Grindr CEO Said
FORTUNE - Grindr CEO George Arison criticized Tinder and Bumble for neglecting their male users, who constitute 70% of their user base, at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference. Despite men often paying for premium services, their experience remains frustrating, leading many to quit online dating. Connell Barrett, founder of Dating Transformation, echoed these sentiments, noting that only 20% of men receive most matches while the rest struggle. Both suggested improvements like AI-generated dating advice and in-app dating therapists. Arison also highlighted that dating apps focus more on women's experiences, which he finds offensive, and called for a more balanced approach to benefit all users.
by Eva Roytburg
See full article at Fortune
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Hinge and Grindr Are Leaving Bumble and Tinder in the Dust
QUARTZ - "Online dating trends have continued to decelerate industry-wide, showing minimal relief from the recent struggles," Morgan Stanley analysts Nathan Feather and Brian Nowak wrote in a research note Tuesday. They pointed out that Hinge and Grindr were doing well. Hinge has seen a huge surge in paying users this year. User downloads increased 14% YOY in the Q2. Bumble's global user downloads rose only 2% in Q2. Tinder's downloads fell ~12% in Q2. And while Grindr hasn't seen a big increase in users, its stock has soared 120% from last year and ~32% from last month.
by Laura Bratton
See full article at Quartz
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Dating App Abusers Face Platform-Wide Bans in Australia
THE AGE - In Australia, users banned from one dating app will now be blocked across all related apps under a new voluntary code of conduct. This code, submitted by Match Group, Bumble, Grindr, and other companies, aims to enhance safety by de-platforming violators. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth announced the code, which will be reviewed in nine months for effectiveness. The code mandates that if a user is banned on one app, they will be banned on all apps owned by the same company. This move follows findings that 75% of dating app users experienced some form of sexual violence. The new rules, effective in October, also require regular reporting on terminated accounts and the establishment of a compliance oversight body.
by Clay Lucas
See full article at The Age
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Norwegian Court Upholds Fine Against Grindr for Illegal Data Use
THE LOCAL - A Norwegian court has upheld a $6M fine against Grindr for illegally sharing users' sensitive data with advertisers. The country's data protection agency, Datatilsynet, issued the 65M-kroner fine in 2021 for data-sharing practices between 2018 and 2020. Grindr must also pay half a million kroner in court costs. The shared data included users' geographical coordinates, ages, sex, and app usage status. Datatilsynet ruled that Grindr provided insufficient information on its data-sharing practices, violating the EU's GDPR. Grindr's appeal was dismissed, with the court affirming the data's sensitive nature due to its relation to sexual orientation. Grindr is considering a further appeal.
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Grindr to Delve Into Dating as More Users Seek Long-Term Relationships
WALL STREET JOURNAL - Grindr, a dating app best known for facilitating hookups between gay men, wants to get more into dating. The app is planning to add several new features aimed at helping its users, who are primarily gay and bisexual men, match up with others with the same intentions, from short-term sexual encounters to long-term relationships. The additions include using AI to identify users with shared interests. Grindr shares are up 17% this year, while Match is down 17% and Bumble has lost nearly a third of its value. This week, Grindr raised its revenue outlook for the year to ~25% growth from ~23% growth. It also forecasts between 20% and 25% annual revenue growth through 2027, equating to ~$600M in 2027 from ~$260 million in 2023.
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Dating Apps' Hidden Money-Making Strategies, Explained
WALL STREET JOURNAL - The $5B dating app industry is largely dominated by Match Group. But downloads across the industry are falling. Here's how some apps are shifting to stay competitive, with features that go beyond just dating. Video featuring Mark Brooks, CEO of Courtland Brooks; Shahzad Younas, CEO of Muzz; George Arison, CEO of Grindr; and Whitney Wolfe Herd, Founder of Bumble.
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Inside the Grindr App Relaunch
CITY A.M. - Grindr's app relaunch aims to expand beyond casual dating while still emphasizing hookups. Despite recent controversies and lawsuits, Grindr introduces free STI testing kits delivered to users' homes, aiming to remove barriers to testing and promote sexual health. VP of Brand Tristan Piñeiro emphasizes maintaining simplicity while adding versatility to the app's functionality. New features include the Roam feature for planning meet-ups while traveling and potential expansions into holiday booking and healthcare services.
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Grindr Celebrates Pride With Cross-country 'Grindr Rides America' Bus Tour
MASHABLE - Grindr is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a cross-country "Grindr Rides America" bus tour, offering free HIV testing, PrEP resources, and a mobile photography studio to LGBTQ communities. The tour will visit 10 cities, starting in San Francisco on May 29 and ending in New York City on June 30. Attendees can enjoy local drag queens, free swag, and Grindr Unlimited giveaways. Medical service Q Care Plus will provide information on HIV and STI prevention.
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Grindr's Chief Privacy Officer on the Dating App's Data Controversies
THE RECORD - Grindr is facing lawsuits and privacy controversies, including accusations of sharing users' HIV status without consent and past incidents involving data breaches. Chief Privacy Officer Kelly Peterson Miranda, who took over in 2023, defends Grindr's practices, asserting they are rigorous and that data sharing was mischaracterized. Despite past fines and accusations, she claims Grindr's privacy policies are robust and focused on user consent, especially under GDPR regulations. The company disputes allegations of retaining user data after account deletion and maintains that sharing data with limited service providers is necessary for app functionality.
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Grindr to Open Its Largest Engineering Hub in Chicago
AUDACY - Grindr is planning to open what will be its largest global engineering hub in Chicago's Loop. Grindr is initially planning to have 50 employees at the engineering center. As the company grows, that number could increase. Grindr's headquarters are in Los Angeles, but the majority of its engineers are in Chicago.
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Tinder and Bumble to Explore New Avenues Amidst Revenue Challenges
BLOOMBERG - Tinder and Bumble are diversifying their services beyond dating due to slowing sales growth and declining user engagement. Bumble anticipates a growth slowdown to 9% this year, down from 31% in 2021, and is repositioning itself as a broader human connection platform. Meanwhile, Match Group reported lower-than-expected revenue projections and a drop in paying users. Financially, this has led to a significant reduction in the market valuations of these companies, with Match Group's valuation falling from a peak of $50B to $8B, and Bumble's valuation also substantially decreasing. In contrast, Grindr has shown resilience and growth potential in its niche market despite facing legal challenges.
by Alex Webb
See full article at Bloomberg
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Grindr Q1 Financial Results
GRINDR - In Q1, Grindr saw a 35% revenue increase to $75M, an operating income of $19M, a net loss of $9M, and a 17% rise in paying users, driven by the success of the XTRA Weekly subscription. Grindr CEO George Arison sits down with Caroline Hyde from Bloomberg to discuss the Q1 results and the controversy surrounding data privacy on the dating platform.
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Grindr CEO Urges Caution Over Giving out Personal Data on the App
FINANCIAL TIMES - Grindr's CEO, George Arison, has advised users to be careful with their personal information on the app, especially after a UK political scandal where Tory MP William Wragg was caught in a honeytrap after sharing private images. Arison emphasized the importance of discretion, noting that while Grindr offers features like expiring photos to protect privacy, users must manage their own safety. This warning comes amid a lawsuit accusing Grindr of improperly sharing sensitive data, including HIV status. Arison reassured that Grindr avoids sharing user details for advertising, affecting revenue but ensuring safety.
by Cristina Criddle & Hannah Murphy
See full article at Financial Times
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