The modern dating world is a minefield of mixed signals, accidental double-texts, and weird opening lines. The absolute last thing you should have to stress about is whether or not your dating app is secretly airing out your most personal business to random advertisers.
If you’ve been on the internet this week, you’ve probably seen the absolute mess going down with Grindr. The LGBTQ+ dating giant just agreed to cough up $35 million (£26 million) to settle a massive UK lawsuit over some seriously shady historical data practices. The tea? Thousands of users alleged that prior to 2020, the app was sharing highly sensitive personal information—including users' HIV statuses and last-tested dates—with third-party data analytics and advertising companies. While Grindr settled the suit without officially admitting liability, they acknowledged the massive distress and loss of trust it caused their community, which is probably the biggest ick imaginable.
So, how do you protect yourself online?
Here are three essential tips on what to share—and what to keep to yourself—when you're swiping:
- Keep Your Exact Locations Off the Grid
- Share: General neighborhoods or public spots you enjoy (like "Love hanging out in the South End" or "Always looking for a good downtown coffee shop").
- Don't Share: Your exact workplace, the name of your gym, or your home address. Avoid posting photos where your house number, license plate, or the view from your apartment window is easily identifiable.
- Decouple Your Socials
- Share: Your hobbies, your music taste, and high-quality photos directly uploaded to your dating profile.
- Don't Share: Direct links to your Instagram, Spotify, or LinkedIn right out of the gate. Connecting your other socials gives relative strangers a backdoor to a massive amount of your personal data, including your last name, where you hang out, and who your friends are. Wait until you've established a real connection before crossing platforms.
- Protect Your Highly Sensitive Data
- Share: What you're looking for, your general vibe, and your boundaries for casual dating.
- Don't Share: Highly sensitive personal information like specific financial details, passwords, or vulnerable health data (as the Grindr case highlighted) directly in in-app chat features or public bios if you aren't completely comfortable with the potential risk of that data being mishandled or leaked. Oh, and of course -- keep your face and any identifying marks out of your sexts and sexy photos.
Ready to find your next situationship on a platform that actually respects your boundaries? Join OBC today. Come for the fun, casual connections, and stay for the peace of mind knowing your private life is actually kept private. Sign up and start matching now!