Grindr defends sharing user HIV status: "the information will become public"

[Skydrake]

Grindr responded Monday to revelations that it allowed third parties to view the HIV status of users, saying its customers had the option not to supply sensitive information. It acknowledged that information on users' HIV status, including the date they were last tested for the virus.
The statement came after Buzzfeed reported earlier on Monday that the dating app was sharing users' HIV status and "last tested date" with Apptimize and Localytics, as well as GPS data, phone ID and email.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/02/gay-dating-app-grindr-reportedly-shares-user-hiv-status-with-other-companies.html

The answer to upset users of Chen Scott, Grindr Chief Technology Officer, was:
"It's important to remember that Grindr is a public forum. We give users the option to post information about themselves including HIV status and last test date, and we make it clear in our privacy policy that if you choose to include this information in your profile, the information will also become public."

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/03/599069424/grindr-admits-it-shared-hiv-status-of-users

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-02/grindr-responds-to-privacy-criticism-by-saying-it-s-a-public-forum

[Jim Allen]

Yeah, seem like they were sharing the data and tried to defend it, backlash to this could take a while to settle particularly if it leads to court cases

Jim

http://www.hivireland.ie/grindr-facing-investigation-for-allegedly-breaching-european-data-protection-laws/

Gay hook-up app Grindr is now facing a legal challenge following the revelation that it has been sharing user’s HIV status with third-party companies.

Gay Community News, 4th April 2018 (written by Katie Donohoe)

Grindr’s decision to share users’ HIV status with third-party companies could land the gay hook-up app in court after a complaint was filed against it for allegedly breaching European law.

Along with the user’s status, their GPS data, phone ID, email, sexual orientation, relationship status, the gay ‘tribe’ they consider themselves a part of, and their ethnicity, was shared with third party analytics companies. In light of the revelations, Grindr announced it will cease sharing the sensitive data but user’s of the app are being urged they are fully aware of the potential use of data they provide.

The Norwegian Consumer Council is not satisfied with Grindr’s decision and has filed a complaint with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority alleging that Grindr breached data protection laws.
Greater Transparency Needed

HIV Ireland has stated that Grindr’s disclosure of user’s HIV status without permission was unacceptable. Niall Mulligan, Executive Director of HIV Ireland stated today that ‘While Grindr’s ultimate response to this unwarranted disclosure is welcome, the situation of disclosing a person’s HIV status without their permission should never have occurred in the first place.

‘Disclosing one’s HIV status is a private decision. People who share their HIV status on Grindr are making a personal choice to share information with other Grindr users only. Grindr must now win back the trust of its users by ensuring this decision to cease disclosing their user’s HIV status to third parties holds fast.’

HIV Ireland is calling on all social media outlets to ensure their users are fully aware of the potential use of all data they are providing in order for them to make an informed choice as to what personal information to share or not.

This is crucial given the stigma that attaches to people living with HIV in Ireland and the potential risks to their employment and personal life that continue to be a serious problem in our society.

For information about HIV, testing, safer sex and support please visit – www.hivireland.ie; www.man2man.ie; www.positivenow.ie

© 2018 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.

https://gcn.ie/grindr-facing-investigation-allegedly-breaching-european-data-protection-laws/

[leatherman]

no different from the problems with Facebook, etc. When you gave these apps your information, you gave permission and access to that data. Caveat emptor - even for the supposedly "free" apps.

[Jim Allen]

Agreed. I had a discussion at work about google and "free" or discounted services offered on phones vs the trade that is of course your data. Nothing is truly free.

[kentfrat1783]

I guess I come from the thinking that if you willingly put it on the internet, then anyone can get it and use it.  The service is "free" but it's only "free" as someone else is paying in some fashion.  Your HIV status is an optional field, and it's optional for a reason.

Heck, I've been trying to find an old friend/boss and I can't find him on any social media.  But through public records I've been able to figure out his birthday, prior address, middle initial and so much more information within about 30 minutes. 

Now I'm not saying that personal health records, bank account numbers, etc should be given out, but if you willingly put it on an APP then don't be shocked when others get it. 

Now what is funny is I deal a lot with Title IX where I work so we are to tell our students to turn off the "location" feature on their phones so others can't rack them (i.e. stalking).  But, at my work we use geolocation/fencing marketing to the same students for different sales pitches. 

If you don't want it out their then don't willingly put in on an APP.

[Jim Allen]

Grindr getting sued again.

https://www.poz.com/article/grindr-sued-uk-allegedly-sharing-users-hiv-status-private-info

A lawsuit filed in London’s High Court alleges that gay dating app Grindr shared users’ personal information, including HIV status and date of most recent HIV test, The Guardian reports. According to the lawsuit filed by the firm Austen Hays, Grindr shared the private data with two advertising companies without users’ consent.

About 670 people in the United Kingdom signed on to the data protection lawsuit, but thousands more may join the case. The alleged breaches of personal data took place between April 2018 and April 2020.

In a statement published in Reuters, a Grindr spokesperson said, “Grindr has never shared user-reported health information for ‘commercial purposes’ and has never monetized such information.”