There's a trope running around Silicon Valley right now that tech executives don't use the products that they're building We here at Scruff absolutely do. That manifested in the decision we made this year to get rid of all programmatic advertising from our app, and to forgo any kind of data integration with Facebook. We're the only gay app — and I believe we are the only dating app, or certainly the only major dating app — who can stand here today and say that. We do not share the data of our members with third-party companies.
Can you explain what programmatic advertising is, in plain speak? We ripped out banner ads. The banner ads, they're terrible, they look bad. They're annoying, they're scammy, they're spamming. They're extracting data about you and shuttling it all over the internet. So why are they called "programmatic? In that instant, you have advertisers who are bidding on that impression.
These advertisers want their ads to reach different people, and some of them want to specifically reach gay men. In this kind of real-time moment that resembles a stock exchange, advertisers see that you're using, in this case, Grindr. They can see that, and they can run an ad they think is appropriate to show you. This phenomenon was sold to us in the early days as a way to show people more relevant ads.
Well, the issue now is that data doesn't just stop with the advertisers anymore — you can easily envision scenarios where that data about your usage of Grindr includes your listed HIV status. Now, that's a very scary and — arguably — dystopian scenario. But it's one that's become increasingly discussed and is part of the reason why the European government passed a very strict privacy law this year. When reached for comment about programmatic advertising, a spokesperson for Grindr offered the following: Grindr has never sold nor will we ever sell personal user information to third parties or advertisers.
It is also worth noting that our primary revenue stream is through subscriptions. Do you believe in good faith the claims that Grindr made back in April, that they were actually going to stop allowing advertisers to receive access to users' HIV statuses? I think every gay man who chooses to use Grindr should look at the facts and should look at their history of decision-making.
I think that people have very good reason to be deeply skeptical of that company in particular There is a reckoning coming for all of these technology companies and platforms that are making business decisions without considering [their] moral implications. In that sense, it's interesting that Grindr has been running a campaign called "Kindr," or other social awareness campaigns that have been trying to shed a spotlight on members of the community who are typically disenfranchised on the platform. This kind of dating discrimination or sexual discrimination that happens on Grindr is certainly not unique to them; it also happens on Scruff.
What kind of initiatives are you guys working on to make sure that Scruff is a safer place in the same way that Grindr has? I am pleased that our industry, more broadly, is shining a light on the issue of racism and sexual discrimination.
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I think if you look closely at what Grindr announced back in September, you will note that there are no actual differences in the app from the day before to the day after. That doesn't mean that there isn't more we can do, which is why this year, Scruff became the first gay dating app, and I believe possibly the first just overall dating app, to actually remove ethnicity as a default from our profile.
When you launch Scruff right now today, ethnicity is not listed on any profile. It can still be included if you choose to as a member, but it is not listed by default. I can tell you that that change has been well-received by our community, and there have been no negative repercussions thus far, but we didn't just stop there. We have also been analyzing profiles here in the United States that include racial language, both "I don't date" and "I only date We've started looking at our profiles that include this kind of language and begun some initial tests where we actually send in-app notifications to profiles that include racial language and invite them to take a moment and to consider how that language affects other people.
It's not a warning — we do not imply that they have violated anything. It really is about taking a moment to consider the ramifications of your words in the same way that a close friend of yours, a brother or a sister, might when they see you perhaps saying something carelessly. It aims at educating users on behaviors that are not allowed within our platform, and it makes it easier for users to submit reports. We are also actively working to update our new user onboarding experience which will guide new members through their first steps of using Grindr, highlighting the importance of positive behavior when communicating with others in our platform.
So you said, just to clarify, that you guys don't send a warning, but it's more of an invitation for them to reconsider language used in their profiles. Does that mean that any racially exclusive language used on the platform is technically not a violation of your Terms and Conditions?
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So our Terms and Conditions are very clear that if you use language that is threatening, harassing, or discriminatory, we absolutely can and do take action to warn you and potentially remove the language or suspend the profile. We do it all it the time.
I just also want to be clear: We regularly enforce those policies, okay? We have made a very concrete product decision by removing ethnicity as a default option, and we are also trying to use our platform to encourage more conversation so that as a community, we can figure out the kind of world we want to live in. I imagine you have community managers who review these things. In addition to an ad-free experience, you'll also get advanced search and filters as well as unlimited chat history, the ability to send and receive videos and the ability to browse anonymously in Stealth mode.
All in all, this seems like what most sites make you upgrade to. But like most dating apps you'll be able to get the job done without blowing a ton of money on a membership. The way that SCRUFF has set itself apart from the rest of the dating apps that you might find, is because of the community aspect. There are very few apps that allow you to chat with people about things like events and travel. These are usually things you'd find in the Kink community but are also very indicative of the gay community.
I love that you can find events, dates, and travel tips all on one site.
SCRUFF Review [ Read This Before Signing Up ] | Dating Insider
And all of these features make sense together on one site. Because think about what you're looking for at events or when you're traveling especially if you're single: This is such a great way to connect with people before and during events. If you're anything like me, you like when things are left up to the imagination. When I'm trolling through a dating app I usually hate when guys pot a ton of pictures of their bodies… but the one thing I hate more is when men think that their crotch is an appropriate profile picture.
That's the kind of stuff you can send to me in private…. More inclusive: This site definitely goes to great lengths to make sure that you're not going to get dick pics all over your grid, but they also make sure to put out a very inclusive vibe out to its user base.
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When you go online, they don't preach about inclusivity, but they use men of varying body types, ethnicities, and ages to market the site. They also have an entire tab on their website that links out to GBQT resources. This is an app that not only cares about getting you laid but they care about keeping you safe and keeping you connected with the gay community. Now, this is the content that I like to see! Are there cons? Honestly I'm at a loss for word when it comes to coming up with some cons for this site.
The only thing I can think of is that they aren't as popular as Grindr so you're likely to find less people on this site… but then again SCRUFF has become very popular… I think that the only way that their slightly more limited user base would affect you is if you're in the middle of butt fuck ha, get it?
To be completely honestly, I love this gay dating app.
I really can't find anything terrible to say about them. I think that this app is paving the way for gay dating because there is a lot more to being gay than getting with dudes. Sure, that's a huge part of it.
But at the same time, there's a huge gay community that is inherently connected with the dating and casual sex scene.