Building Trust Through Choice: Grindr’s CMP Update for a Better Ad Experience

At Grindr, “We Care About Your Privacy” isn’t just a tagline—it’s a core commitment guiding our work. We continually look for ways to strengthen the privacy options you have in the app, so that you have control of your personal information and your Grindr experience. In our August blog post, we mentioned that we would be transitioning to a new consent management platform (CMP), Ketch. Now, we’re excited to announce that we’re rolling out this Ketch-powered CMP. It enables our free users to choose which types of ads you see on Grindr and marks a significant step in our work to enhance your ads experience.

We prioritize your privacy in many ways, including by asking for your consent to show you personalized ads. Even if you opt into personalized ads, we share only a limited amount of Personal Information with our advertising partners, which can mean that sometimes ads aren’t as relevant as you’d expect. If you do choose personalized ads, our aim is to make them relevant while respecting your boundaries, including your privacy preferences as communicated via our CMP.

By moving to this new Ketch CMP, we’re focusing on giving you a well-established, fully native mobile experience for controlling your ad choices. From there, we can continue building a more engaging set of ad features - if you choose to participate.

Why Are We Asking for Your Ad Consent Now?

We believe in being transparent, which is why we want you to know we’re switching CMP providers. As we make this transition, you’ll have the opportunity to review the updated interface and confirm how your data may be used to serve the ads you see in Grindr.

What Does Advertising Consent Mean?

Over 90% of Grindr users enjoy the free, ad-supported version of the app. When you consent to personalized ads, advertisers receive limited information—only with your permission—to try and make those ads more relevant to you. If you use the free version of the app and choose not to consent to personalized ads, you will still see ads but they likely won’t be as closely matched to your interests.

What Information Is Shared If I Say “Yes” to Personalized Ads?

Opting into personalized ads means that a small amount of your Personal Information is shared in a privacy-focused way with our partners. For example, consenting allows advertisers to show you an offer based on a general location (city-level, not precise location) or something that aligns with your profile interests—like an ad for a local drag brunch. Rest assured, we do not share your chats, HIV status, vaccination details, or testing reminders with third-party advertisers. No chats. No vaccination status. No testing alerts. No HIV status. We outline what is shared for both personalized and non-personalized ads in our Privacy Policy.

What Is a CMP and Why Is It Important?

A consent management platform (CMP) is a tool that enables us to ask for your permission to display personalized ads on Grindr. Typically, you’ll see it when creating an account so we can determine if you want personalized ads or non-personalized ads. Occasionally, we’ll ask you to review or “renew” your consent if we add a new advertising partner, or—as we’re doing now—switch to a new CMP provider. The CMP not only records your choice but also shares it with our third-party advertising partners, so that your preferences are honored across the app.

We’re excited to introduce you to Ketch’s next-generation CMP. Built by engineers with privacy top of mind, Ketch’s platform offers purpose-built automation and an intuitive interface. The appearance may vary depending on your location, but you can always update your ad preferences by going to the “Consent Preference Center” in Grindr’s “Settings” menu.

We hope this new CMP enhances your control and peace of mind when it comes to advertising. Whether you opt for personalized ads or prefer non-personalized ones, our priority is ensuring you can make an informed decision about how your data is used. Thank you for being part of the Grindr community. If you have questions about these updates, feel free to consult our Help Center or adjust your preferences at any time in the app’s settings.