The Corona Diaries: Sex and Dating Apps Struggle with a Pandemic

It’s hard to make love when you’re six feet apart, at least that’s what users of dating apps are discovering right now. For the near future, your love life is quarantined.

We decided to take a look at what some of the top apps are doing — or not doing — to keep users safe.

For the near future, your love life is quarantined.

Surprisingly, Tinder does not have any pop ups or alert bars regarding COVID-19, but buried in their Help & Support section they acknowledge that “while it is not a moment to be meeting matches in person, we recognize that Tinder – a platform centered around connection – can play an important role as we navigate the uncertainty that COVID-19 has introduced into our everyday lives.”

Tinder has not added messaging about COVID on their app, however they did recently publish a blog about how some are making the choice to distance.

They never actually give a name to that “role” but go on to suggest that “we strongly encourage new connections to stay digital.”

Our guess is, not everyone is going to take that to heart.

On Grindr we found numerous profiles which didn’t mention self-quarantining or concern about COVID.

Which led us to wonder what the premiere gay hookup site is doing about that. Once we logged in we found numerous profiles which didn’t mention self-quarantining or concern about COVID.

Yet in a recent interview, a Grindr spokesperson told The Advocate that it had loaded CDC information onto the app. Only problem is,  we couldn’t find it anywhere at all.  With young people already engaging in willful ignorance of the COVID virus (hello, spring breakers in Florida!), it makes you question Grindr’s ethics.

Neither Grindr nor OKCupid had any warnings on their website or apps, however the UK version of Grindr does have the standard information about self-distancing and hand washing.

Similarly OKCupid had no statement on their app or website – not in their Community Guidelines nor their “Dating Safety Tips.”  However one media outlet claimed that “OKCupid even went as far as to include COVID-19 related questions in their new user screening process, asking users if ‘coronavirus affects their dating lives.’”

If I say yes, can I still sign up? Well it turns out it doesn’t matter because when we created a profile we weren’t asked any questions about COVID-19.

On the other side of the casual sex spectrum, sex workers of all stripes are struggling with nearly zero income, but sex camming is keeping some performers afloat.

Obi Onyeador

Sex workers and performers have also been financially impacted by the pandemic. Many have turned to so-called sex camming. While not nearly as profitable as in-person services, it helps pay the bills.

In fact, thanks to the pandemic sex camming has blossomed into a full-fledged industry as massage parlors, brothels, and strip clubs are forced to close.

Onlyfans.com, the London-based service founded in 2016, has seen a spike in subscribers looking for action without the risk of infection. Here, it’s no holds barred with zero content restrictions, meaning all manner of sex acts are allowed. Performers keep 80% of the fee.

Still, some sex workers are taking the risk of meeting  johns in-person but requiring them to wash their hands and use sanitizer before touching them.  Will full-body condoms be next? Maybe. A casual perusal of amazon and ebay turned up a surprising number of such latex bodysuits that have just now become available for purchase.

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