My first reaction to Grindr’s AI training policy was surprise. This is a very intimate product. People use it to find a partner, a hookup or a connection with another queer person. That’s a lot of trust to put in an app. Learning that profile photos and taps can also become AI training data makes me uncomfortable.
I’m not on Grindr. I have two boyfriends, so I have enough boyfriends to keep me busy. If a friend were using the app, though, I’d tell him to go through the settings and protect his privacy.
Ronan Farrow has been pointing people toward the opt-out. Grindr’s help page explains what that covers: profile photos, taps, age and display name. It calls those details “limited data” and says they may be used for training unless you opt out.
How to opt out of Grindr AI training
Grindr’s published instructions direct you to the side drawer. From there, open Safety & Privacy Center → Privacy → Privacy Settings, then find AI Technology Controls.
Switch off Enable gAI Features. Grindr identifies this as the opt-out for training on your photos, taps, age and display name. It also controls whether your information powers its AI features.
Next, review AI Technology Training: Special Category Data. Training on chat content, precise location, gender and sexual position requires a separate opt-in. Withdraw that permission if you previously gave it and no longer want to participate.
Watch for a new settings layout. In an Oct. 27 announcement, Grindr said revised sensitive-data controls would roll out this week. It directs users to Privacy Settings → Sensitive Data. There, one control covers using sensitive information for AI features; another covers developing and improving the technology. Review both permissions if that section appears in your app.
These permissions do different jobs. A chat summary can require processing a conversation without using it to train a model. Grindr says training on messages requires separate consent.
What the opt-out changes
Grindr says opting out stops future use of your data for training. For questions about deleting historical data, it directs users to its Privacy Center. It does not promise that changing the setting reverses training already completed.
The company excludes HIV status, testing information and vaccination status from AI training and features. Its safety and moderation systems operate separately, without an opt-out.
Where I draw the line on AI and dating
AI on a dating app is fine for things like organizing messages or finding people with similar interests. I can see how that would help someone make a connection faster. Those are practical uses. I have no problem with them when people agree to how their data is used.
An AI model designed to become a dating partner would be a different proposition. Using people’s intimate information to build that kind of product seems unethical to me. That’s a concern about where this technology could go. Grindr’s current privacy documents describe connection features such as summaries and recommendations.
Even for features I’d welcome, I want the choice to come first. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has called for opt-in consent before Grindr trains AI on personal information.
Grindr’s privacy history gives users good reason to read the small print. In September, the company agreed to a £26 million settlement with roughly 12,000 UK users over alleged sharing of sensitive information before 2020. It disputes the allegations, admitted no liability and says its privacy program has since changed, The Guardian reported. Gayety has covered separate concerns about tracking activity on the app, too.
I want AI to help people make connections. I also want people to understand what happens to the information they share along the way. Reviewing these permissions gives you a chance to make that choice for yourself.
