Mobile-dating service Tinder is not too happy about being included in an ad campaign that suggests it contributes to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Tinder has called on the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) to take down ads that argue mobile dating apps, including Tinder, could expose users to sexually transmitted diseases. Tinder told the BBC that the ads represent "wholly unsubstantiated accusations" that are an attempt by the AHF to get people to "take an HIV test offered" by the organization.
Tinder has become one of the more popular mobile dating apps, allowing users to quickly skim through pictures and swipe one way or another to show whether they have interest in getting to know the other person or not. If both individuals say they'd like to connect, Tinder facilitates a chat between them.
While Tinder has pitched itself as a dating app, the app has built a reputation in popular culture for being a way for people to quickly engage in sexual activity. Indeed, in a statement, the AHF said that Tinder, along with a similar app for the gay community, Grindr, are "making casual sex as easily available as ordering pizza." The organization argued that such activities could increase a person's chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, a charge that Tinder discounted as baseless.
In a press release, AHF referenced a recent Vanity Fair article that portrayed the dating site as a haven for empty hook-ups. That article also prompted backlash from Tinder, which fired off a barrage of late-night tweets in defense of the app. It later apologized for overreacting, though.
The AHF plans to continue its campaign. The organization currently has ads in Los Angeles, but says that it will bring them to other major cities, including New York and Miami, in the coming weeks.
Tinder did not respond to a request for comment.
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