With over 11 million daily users, Grindr, perhaps the most well-known dating app for the LGBTIQ+ community, is under fire. Crime reports associated with the platform have skyrocketed. The app, which allows users to message anyone without the need for prior matching, has become a tool for criminals targeting vulnerable individuals. Over the past year, police in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria have witnessed an alarming increase in incidents involving Grindr, prompting concerns about user safety and the platform’s verification processes.
Though based in the United States, Grindr has recently been at the center of online safety conversations. It’s far too simple for users to set up accounts under assumed identities and ages. The platform has no age or identity verification measures in place, leading to rampant impersonation and deceptive behavior. This lack of verification leaves an open door for anyone with bad intentions to abuse the app.
In Victoria alone, authorities arrested more than 30 individuals since October last year for crimes involving LGBTIQ+ dating apps, including Grindr. One Friday night last September, five teenage boys, each between 15 and 17 years old, coordinated plans to hang out together in Perth. Their plan was to attack men on this trip. The teenagers were sentenced to jail in June for their attack. Plus, there was the story of a man in Canberra who was brutally attacked by two men who used the gay dating app Grindr to arrange their encounter.
Stuart, a victim of a scammer on the app, recently shared his story. To his surprise, he found that at least 20 other men had been similarly victimized. This person had been harming users for a number of years. “So many people messaged me saying it happened to them too — but they didn’t want to go to police,” he stated. Many others are too ashamed or perhaps living in what from the outside appear to be monogamous partnerships. Some others live under heteronormative society’s radar.
No wonder so many users agree with this sentiment. They are reluctant to report these incidents because the nature of the crimes is particularly sensitive. A representative from NSW Police noted, “Many individuals decline to make statements or pursue charges because their families may be unaware of their sexual orientation.”
Jamaica, another Grindr user, expressed the same fears about being outed and harmed because of information shared on the platform. It’s really simple for folks to get up there that have bad intentions. They don’t check your age, they don’t check your identity — nothing,” she said. She highlighted that users can message anyone without prior matching, resulting in daily encounters with blank profiles offering money or drugs.
Grindr proactively took these issues into consideration. To inform the public, they’ve developed a Scam Awareness Guide to help users identify and avoid possible scams. The company recognizes the issues associated with fake accounts, stating, “We always take reports [of underage users] seriously, as issues with fake accounts are a major complaint from our users.”
Even with these resources, users have continued to call for the implementation of more robust safety measures. Jamaica was quick to share how a verification of identity would go a long way towards making the app a safer space for users. “You can message anybody without matching with them first, so there’s no buffer,” she explained. This absence of a safety net has left countless users feeling exposed.
The emotional toll of these experiences, like that of environmental displacement, can be profound. Stuart described feeling uncomfortable during his encounter, stating, “I said [to the man], ‘where’s my watch?’ … He immediately bolts into the bathroom and brings me my watch.” He continued by saying he was just happy to be out of harm’s way. “I felt very uncomfortable. We were so happy to see that hotel door close behind us, we knew we didn’t want to go back.
With these incidents only increasing, the discussion around safety on dating platforms is more important than ever. Many victims are concerned about being re-victimized, which discourages them from reaching out to law enforcement. As a result, they are afraid their concerns will not be heard. Stuart remarked on this pervasive issue: “I understand distrust of the police. I understand being in the closet feeling ashamed… But I’m somebody who will speak out when I think something is wrong.”
