The company is also facing allegations of inflating the number of paying users. An employee filed a whistleblower complaint with the SEC in November, claiming that the company was double-counting users who purchased a subscription and also purchased a "boost," counting users who canceled their subscription and got a refund, and counting one user with more than one subscription as multiple paid users. Grindr has denied these allegations.
Key takeaways:
- Grindr, the world's leading gay dating app, is facing financial difficulties and is planning to boost revenue by monetizing the app more aggressively, including putting previously free features behind a paywall and introducing new in-app purchases.
- The company is working on an AI chatbot that can engage in sexually explicit conversations with users. The bot may train on private chats with other human users, pending their consent.
- Grindr's push for monetization has raised concerns among employees who worry that these efforts could negatively impact user trust and privacy.
- The company is also facing allegations of inflating the number of paying users, with a whistleblower complaint filed with the SEC in November. Grindr has denied these allegations.