Dating app Grindr has announced it will disable its location feature in the Milano-Cortina Olympic Village to protect LGBTQ+ athletes from potential safety risks at this month’s Winter Games
Dating platform Grindr has revealed plans to switch off its location feature in the Milano-Cortina Olympic Village to shield LGBTQ+ athletes from “real safety risks” during this month’s Winter Games.
The app, which describes itself as “the world’s largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans and queer people“, typically enables users to find others in their vicinity and see how far apart they are.
Switching off this function is essential, Grindr argues, within the Olympic setting where “those same features may become a liability”.
The firm explained in a statement: “When the Olympics come around, athletes face a level of global attention that doesn’t exist anywhere else – on the podium and off.
“For gay athletes, especially those who aren’t out or who come from countries where being gay is dangerous or illegal, that visibility creates real safety risks.
“Grindr shows users who’s nearby and how far away they are. In most contexts, that’s useful. In the Olympic Village where thousands of athletes are packed into a small area, those same features may become a liability.
“Someone outside the Village could browse profiles inside it. Distance data could be used to pinpoint someone’s exact location. And simply appearing on Grindr tells the world something about a person’s identity that, in more than 60 countries, remains a criminal offence.”
According to OutSports, a Winter Olympic record 44 openly LGBTQ+ athletes will make the journey to Italy, where the competition kicks off on Wednesday.
Grindr initially introduced location visibility restrictions during the 2022 Winter Olympics and maintained this approach for the summer Games in Paris in 2024.
A private video function, which permits users to watch a video just once, will be completely disabled within the Olympic Village.
The platform will also dispatch weekly alerts to athletes regarding dangers particular to the Olympic setting and provide complimentary access to typically premium features, such as vanishing messages, message recall capabilities and screenshot prevention.