In a significant move to safeguard participants, the dating app Grindr has announced it will disable its location feature within the Milano-Cortina Olympic Village for the duration of the 2026 Winter Games. This decision is specifically designed to protect LGBTQ+ athletes from what the company describes as "real safety risks" associated with the unique environment of the Olympic Village.
Protecting Athletes from Unprecedented Scrutiny
Grindr, which positions itself as the world's largest social networking app for gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals, typically allows users to discover others nearby and view their approximate distance. However, the company has stated that in the context of the Olympics, these same features could become a dangerous liability.
The platform explained in an official statement: "When the Olympics come around, athletes face a level of global attention that doesn't exist anywhere else—both on the podium and off. For gay athletes, especially those who aren't publicly out or who come from countries where being gay is dangerous or illegal, that visibility creates genuine safety concerns."
Specific Risks Identified
Grindr outlined several specific risks that prompted this decision. The company noted that someone outside the Olympic Village could potentially browse profiles of individuals inside it, while distance data could theoretically be used to pinpoint someone's exact location within the densely populated village.
Perhaps most significantly, the company emphasized that simply appearing on Grindr reveals something about a person's identity that remains a criminal offence in more than sixty countries worldwide. This creates particular vulnerability for athletes from nations with hostile attitudes toward LGBTQ+ individuals.
Record Number of Out LGBTQ+ Athletes
According to OutSports, a Winter Olympic record of forty-four openly LGBTQ+ athletes will be traveling to Italy for the 2026 Games, where competition officially begins this Wednesday. This growing representation underscores the importance of creating safe environments for all participants.
Additional Safety Measures Implemented
Beyond disabling the location feature, Grindr is implementing several other protective measures during the Olympic period. The company will turn off its private video feature entirely within the Olympic Village—this feature normally allows users to view a video only once before it disappears.
The app will also send athletes weekly reminders about risks specific to the Olympic environment and provide free access to normally paywalled safety features. These include disappearing messages, the ability to unsend messages, and screenshot blocking capabilities.
Continuing a Protective Pattern
This is not the first time Grindr has implemented such measures at Olympic events. The company first restricted location visibility at the 2022 Winter Olympics and continued the practice at the summer Games in Paris in 2024. This establishes a clear pattern of proactive safety measures during major international sporting events where athletes face heightened visibility and potential risks.
The decision reflects growing awareness within technology companies about their responsibility to protect vulnerable users in specific high-risk contexts, particularly when those users may face discrimination or legal consequences in their home countries.
