HIV Status and Dating Apps
I personally do not have any experience using popular dating apps like Tinder or Grindr. However, I have many friends who utilize these services. Grindr, a popular dating platform for those seeking same-sex relationships, has come under fire about their use of personal information. An optional question on Grindr asks members to input their HIV status, which members are informed could become public.
My first thought after reading this article was whether or not Tinder had the same type of question. From googling, I came up empty handed. However, if they do not have a similar question, I think Grindr’s questioning risks the continuation of the stigma of HIV and the gay community. Initially, many people supported the inclusion of this question in Grindr’s platform. This is now causing controversy because the HIV status of members has ended up in the hands of outside companies. So not only are they asking members to reveal deeply personal information, but Grindr is then sharing it. Grindr initially stood by its sharing of information by stating, “the inclusion of HIV status information within our platform is always regarded carefully with our users’ privacy in mind, but like any other mobile app company, we too must operate with industry standard practices to help make sure Grindr continues to improve for our community.”
So…
Should the app ask this question?
Is it discriminatory?
Do Grindr participants take on the risk if they choose to answer this question?
References:
Kelly, Heather. 2018. Grindr to stop sharing HIV status of users with outside companies. CNN Tech.