The dating app Grindr is reportedly affected by a serious privacy flaw that allows it to view and steal the location data of millions of users.
The The Wall Street Journal The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) claims that gay dating apps had problems between 2017 and 2020 due to a flaw in some of their advertising networks.
This issue meant that a third party could buy data from millions of Grindr users and use it for a variety of purposes without the user knowing anything.
Grindr’s privacy concerns
The WSJ quoted “people familiar with this issue” and the information was first sold in 2017, and Grindr is working to protect users from such rampant data collection practices. He states that he ended the practice two years ago.
However, the WSJ argues that historical data, including “correct movements” of Grindr users, may still be available. Such practices can be devastating to users. Following the analysis of similar data, the WSJ said last year a U.S. Catholic official “goed out” as a Grindr user.Homosexuality also remains illegal in some countries and can jeopardize the personal safety of users if identified.
Both WSJ and Grindr have stated that personal information such as names, phone numbers and passwords was not available at any time, but details such as the user’s home or work address theoretically analyze location data. You can judge by doing.
Grindr says there are millions of gay, bi, trance, and queer users around the world, refuting the WSJ story and calling it “old news” to target the app’s user base. I point out that.
“Sacrificing LGBTQ + people is sneaky, but sadly it always happens,” wrote Grindr, Vice President of Communications. Blog post About the article.
“The Wall Street Journal has published a sensational article about a historical vulnerability in the ad tech ecosystem that was improperly exploited to retrieve data from some of Grindr’s previous advertising partners. Is real, but unfortunately the WSJ uses horror tactics. Aim for clicks. “
“Our users value privacy and continue to prioritize their needs. Issues that threaten the LGBTQ + community are real. Issues such as homosexuality, prejudice, state-sponsored surveillance and violence. Protecting privacy and protecting the LGBTQ + community must be an ongoing effort for all of us. “
The company also placed great importance on user privacy and decided to “clear enough” to share less user information with advertisers than before. Also, keep in mind that users can opt out of personalized ads at any time.