Spoofed Grindr Accounts Turned One Man's Life Into a 'Living Hell'

Cases of Grindr catfishing and deception happen every so often on Grindr---sometimes with tragic results. The complaint states that the ex "would manipulate the geo-physical settings" of the app---a simple enough hack using GPS-spoofing apps for Android or jailbroken iPhones---to make fake accounts appear to be located at Herrick's home or work. Attorney Carrie Goldberg Herrick contrasts Grindr's alleged lack of direct communication or action on the spoofed accounts to the behavior of a lesser-known gay dating app, Scruff. One reason for Grindr's unresponsiveness, in fact, may be that it isn't actually legally liable for the ordeal Herrick has experienced, says Ashley Kissinger, a media defense attorney with Levine, Sullivan, Koch and Schulz LLP. Herrick's complaint counters that the case should be considered not one of illicit content on a service, but product liability: "Grindr affirmatively availed itself as a weapon to destroy life," the complaint reads.