Grindr shared information about users' HIV status with third parties

[Vometra]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/03/grindr-shared-information-about-users-hiv-status-with-third-parties

 

" Grindr uses services like Apptimize and Localytics to analyze how mobile users interact with the app. In the process of doing so, it sent those companies its users’ HIV status and “last tested date” along with GPS data, phone ID and email, according to BuzzFeed."

 

"Grindr was founded in 2009 and didn’t raise outside funding until it sold a 60 percent stake to a Chinese gaming company in 2016. "

 

[micrhoid]

I remembered there was another post regarding about it on Tumblr as well. But here's my take on this, it's just an opinion.

 

Grindr did state in their terms and condition that whatever we posted in here, it goes to show that we understand the situation, and declared our status to both Grindr and its users. However, despite being rather public about our status, it should be within the grounds of Grindr and it shouldn't be spread out to anywhere else without permission.

 

Yes, Grindr did indicate in their post that they have never intended on selling information of our HIV statuses to anyone else. That being said however, Grindr already took the liberty of using our HIV status information, and just spread it towards its partners; even if it is for a greater good (which is understandable to me). They gave away valuable information of sensitive users' status at their expense, and that makes a lot of users really paranoid, especially HIV+ users.

 

This is a breach of privacy because as much as the users did declare their statuses on Grindr, it should only be with people who actually uses the app as well, and no one else. That is why a whole lot of people are not really happy about this in the first place.

 

But again, this is my take on this.

[derryfawne]

On 4/5/2018 at 10:47 AM, micrhoid said:

I remembered there was another post regarding about it on Tumblr as well. But here's my take on this, it's just an opinion.

 

Grindr did state in their terms and condition that whatever we posted in here, it goes to show that we understand the situation, and declared our status to both Grindr and its users. However, despite being rather public about our status, it should be within the grounds of Grindr and it shouldn't be spread out to anywhere else without permission.

 

Yes, Grindr did indicate in their post that they have never intended on selling information of our HIV statuses to anyone else. That being said however, Grindr already took the liberty of using our HIV status information, and just spread it towards its partners; even if it is for a greater good (which is understandable to me). They gave away valuable information of sensitive users' status at their expense, and that makes a lot of users really paranoid, especially HIV+ users.

 

This is a breach of privacy because as much as the users did declare their statuses on Grindr, it should only be with people who actually uses the app as well, and no one else. That is why a whole lot of people are not really happy about this in the first place.

 

But again, this is my take on this.

 

Well, to be frank Grindr's Privacy Policy also did state that the Personal Data they collected from us will also be disclosable to Third Parties and our continued use of the app constitutes our agreement to that.

 

https://www.grindr.com/privacy-policy

 

I think it's not a case of legal breach of privacy, but rather an ethical one.

 

Ethically speaking, I think the HIV status could be shared with a third party provided if it's not bundled together with another information that can be identified to a person (e.g. location information), which in this case Grindr did violate.

[Guest :-(]

Glad I'm not using any of these sex apps and neither do I have hiv status for them to abuse