Joe Hack, Grindr's head of global government affairs, told a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into anti-LGBTIQA+ hate crimes the highest priority for the app was the safety and wellbeing of its users.
Victoria Police had identified that Grindr was the main app used to facilitate hate crimes, the inquiry chaired by Victorian Liberal MP Joe McCracken heard in Melbourne on Thursday.
"Like any online platform, there are instances where bad actors attempt to misuse our features, potentially putting users at risk," Mr Hack told the committee from Washington DC.
Numerous incidents of gay bashing and other violent crimes against LGBTIQA+ people occur across Australia, with dating and other social networking apps sometimes used to lure users to a beating. Â
Grindr is for adults only, and Australian users are required to verify they are over 18 to create an account with the platform.
"We regularly update our features and practices to help reduce the risk of harassment, violence, and exploitation," Mr Hack said.
"Perpetrators using our platform to identify, target, and harm the very community we exist to serve represents a direct assault on everything we stand for."
Grindr actively worked with Australian police to minimise harm to its users and continuously invested in better tools and detection, along with deeper community partnerships, to improve responses to abuse, he said.
Pop-up safety messages were one tool being used by Grindr in Victoria warning users of violence risks and providing safety guidance, Mr Hack said.
Grindr worked with police to better understand patterns of off-platform harm so it could improve its detection capabilities, he said.
Priyanka Purkayastha, Grindr's director for customer experience, told the committee the challenge was to design tools to increase user confidence and reduce misuse without forcing users into identity exposure.
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