Grindr Exec: We’ve Stopped Sharing Users’ HIV Status

Axios reports:

Grindr has stopped sharing users’ HIV status with its third-party vendors, the company’s head of security told Axios. However, much of the concerns with Grindr’s data-sharing practices were a misunderstanding of what was being shared and with whom, says Grindr security chief Bryce Case.

Grindr may have been sharing more information than needed, but it insists the most sensitive information was encrypted and not shared with advertisers. The vendors in question — Localytics and Apptimize — help Grindr manage its app performance and, in the case of Apptimize, test features on only a certain percentage of users.

“I understand the news cycle right now is very focused on these issues,” Case said, but added, “I think what’s happened to Grindr is, unfairly, we’ve been singled out.” Case said the company decided to change its policies around particularly sensitive information, including HIV status, after the user outcry.

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