Grindr is working on another feature to protect its users.
When Grinder gained new ownership, the new CEO, Jeff Bonforte, said, “I don’t think you have to be gay to want to have a strong, healthy, safe LGBTQ community. And so I think we see Grindr’s role in that, and we hope we can further it.”
Now, it seems that Grindr’s making its first big initiative in providing such as space for the men who use the app. Specifically, Grindr has partnered with a security tech firm named UrSafe in order to release new features for app users. Grindr is not the only dating app to be connected to UrSafe, however, as three of the other top 10 global dating apps are partnered with the company.
But what does this partnership bring? Several of UrSafe’s features include Follow Me, Check-In, Hands-Free SOS, and Fake Call. With Hands-Free SOS, users can set a designated individual. That person will then be able to receive users’ location should a hook-up become dangerous. Other features allow for other exit plans like getting a fake phone call as an excuse for leaving.
In a press release, UrSafe noted its intention to protect Grindr users. Anthony Oyogoa, MD, CEO and co-founder of UrSafe, noted that the company believes that “living safely and freely is not a privilege but a right, because until that is established in marginalized communities across the board, we are not all truly considered equal.”
He added:
“Whether Grindr users are located in Robertsdale, Alabama, across the globe in Pakistan or anywhere in between, we are deeply committed to empowering them with next-generation personal safety tools, so that they can feel more comfortable dating and creating meaningful connections with others. We’re extremely invested and very humbled to join forces with Grindr, and our partnership means that four of the top ten grossing global dating apps now provide ‘The UrSafe App,’ making it an industry standard. We hope that by providing an extra layer of safety for their users, we might be able to take a bit of the anxiety and fear of danger out of the equation, so that Grindr users can focus more of their energy on creating genuine connections and cultivating their relationships.”
