OUT.COM – A new group of gay dating and hookup apps is putting privacy and community control at the center of their products. Meetmarket, founded by Calum Bowden, raised €161,456 through crowdfunding and is developing an ad-free app with end-to-end encrypted messaging and a decentralized identity system. Other newcomers include Goose, an “anti-algorithm” dating and sex app with human-screened applicants, and Hank Social, which is aimed at the kink and fetish community and emphasizes discretion and human moderation. The growth of these platforms comes amid wider concerns about how dating apps collect and manage sensitive user data.
