Yet.

Once again, the social media rumor engine is gloating at the possible own of the century: Grindr is threatening to out closeted Republican lawmakers unless Florida backs off its anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. It’s the kind of dramatic statement that grabs the attention of people who love to churn the rumor mills—but unfortunately for the gossips, it isn’t true.

For those unfamiliar with Grindr, 1) No you’re not; you’re not fooling anyone and 2) It’s a location-based dating and hookup app. It’s designed for gay, bi, trans, and queer people to find no-strings attached sex partners in the vicinity. It’s known for protecting user anonymity and being discreet. It’s especially useful for those who are still closeted or who have public-facing roles that might take a social hit if people around them learned they were DL (down-low, or not openly gay).

The rumor that Grindr intends to blackmail Republican legislators isn’t a new one. Back in 2023, a similar story went viral when Florida passed a swath of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills. Supposedly, Grindr had proof that multiple anti-gay lawmakers were secretly using the app. Social media lit up with jokes suggesting Grindr should “drop receipts” as revenge. The flames were fanned by click-happy scrollers, but the company never revealed any users who might be Republican politicians—nor did it ever even hint that it would.

While Grindr doesn’t play the blackmail game, the company has been openly critical of homophobic and transphobic laws. Its current CEO Joel Simkhai has voiced support for LGBTQIA+ rights many times. But outing users is another matter entirely. Doing so would not only violate basic ethics, but it would also break Grindr’s strict privacy policy.

The rumor seems to keep coming back largely because lawmakers in Florida continue to push bills that limit things like drag shows, gender-affirming care, and access to queer education. While it’s not unreasonable to imagine that some of these lawmakers might be closeted themselves, assuming Grindr will leak user data is just not realistic. Threatening to out someone if they don’t do what you want is blackmail—and that comes with serious legal and reputational consequences.

So, sorry if you were hoping Grindr would reveal some juicy secrets for the masses. That’s not how Grindr works, and blackmail shouldn’t be the go-to advocacy strategy for vulnerable populations. If you’ve found yourself hoping Grindr would throw gas on the fire, maybe this is your sign to get involved in real advocacy work, not extremely online schadenfreude.