Grindr to Offer More Safety Features on Its App
Contributed by: kellyseal on Tuesday, August 25 2020 @ 11:38 am
Last modified on Tuesday, August 25 2020 @ 11:50 am
Popular gay dating app Grindr has formed a relationship with UrSafe to offer a range of safety features to its members, in response to concerns raised by users around the world.
According to The Advocate[*1] , Grindr users will be able to share their locations with trusted friends and family members and send hands-free SOS alerts to law enforcement officials. The safety app allows users to set up safe words that correspond to different situations that users encounter, from general discomfort to an emergency, triggering the appropriate response almost immediately.
This is similar to the safety features UrSafe offered earlier this summer to The Meet Group’s suite of dating apps. UrSafe offered its premium service to Meet Group dating app users for a 60-day free trial period, with the same SOS and location sharing features. It’s not clear whether Grindr will offer on a limited time period as well, or if they have a different agreement with UrSafe.
Grindr CEO Jeff Bonforte told The Advocate: "Queer people around the world face discrimination and even violence from others simply because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Grindr is always looking for innovative ways to help our community further their safety on and offline.”
Grindr has come under fire for safety concerns, notably when it shared personal data from users, including their HIV history, with third party vendors. Grindr was also under scrutiny for a period of time when it was owned by Chinese company Beijing Kunlun Tech. Employees shared concerns when Chinese executives were emailing each other secretly, often in Mandarin over WeChat, rather than through the company’s own server. There were multiple concerns about the personal data and privacy of government and military officials who use the app being exploited by the Chinese government, which resulted in the U.S. government intervening and forcing its sale.
Bonforte and current COO Rick Marini and CFO Gary Hsueh, investors in San Vicente Acquisition Partners, purchased Grindr this past June for $608.5 million. Bonforte previously worked to fortify Yahoo! Against Russian hackers.
Bonforte wants to make Grindr a safer experience for users around the world, which can be a daunting task in some countries where there are discriminatory LGBTQ+ laws in place, and some where it is criminalized. Bonforte wants to increase education on how to be safe from region to region, primarily through an ongoing dialogue with the local LGBTQ+ communities. The company earlier launched a feature that masks the Grindr icon on your phone in case it gets into the wrong hands.
UrSafe is available in over 200 countries and territories.
For more on this gay dating service you can read our Grindr app review.