The app helped revolutionise the community’s approach to HIV. Sharing that data undoes all its good work
Gay men have always needed safe spaces, somewhere they could congregate without fear of stigma and judgment or, even more essentially, persecution and violence. Over the past several decades, those spaces were more often than not gay bars and clubs, where gay men flocked to be themselves in a way that wasn’t always possible in “polite society”. The fact that there were also scores of men at those establishments looking for casual encounters wasn’t just a bonus, it was often the entire point.
For better or worse, in the digital age the safe space where many gay men are finding that community (and sexual) connection is on Grindr, one of a host of mobile “dating” apps that sorts users based on their proximity to one another. That’s why it was especially troubling when users discovered on Tuesday that Grindr had been sharing their information – including location and HIV status – with third-party firms.
It may surprise some that Grindr would have that sort of sensitive medical information to share with businesses helping them optimise their product, but it’s part of a culture of transparency that the anonymity and ease of the internet has fostered. After all, people are already trading pictures of less visible parts of their anatomy; disclosing HIV status requires less fuss and perspective than a good shot of the meat and potatoes.