Sniffies users are concerned about the ‘calendar’ of the Gay Hookup app

From all The gay hookup apps Brennan Zubrick uses, Sniffies, a cruising app for men interested in positive casual encounters with other men, is by far his favorite. Some of the most popular kinks among members on the platform include rimming, squirt play, and BDSM. “I overwhelmingly prefer the experience I get and the community I have access to,” he told WIRED. But Zubrick, a 40-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., has a bad feeling that might soon change.

Tinder and Hinge parent company Match Group on Monday announced a $100 million investment in Sniffies. The deal gives Match Group a significant minority stake and the option to become sole owner at a later date. This announcement sparked a storm of reactions from users who are guessing at the company’s direction and the app’s long-term sustainability.

“Sniffies has long held its place in the market as the little guy, catering to a certain section of the gay community, a place where people who might not feel comfortable with Grindr — where selfie or no-chat culture isn’t as rampant — go to connect with other like-minded people in a more direct and discreet way,” Zubrick tells WIRED.

“This partnership is about supporting that, not redefining it,” Blake Gallagher, founder and CEO of Sniffies, said in a statement, noting that the investment will help the platform focus on three key areas users want: “stronger trust and security, expanded network growth, and ongoing product improvements.” According to the agreement, Match Group will provide guidance on appropriate roles, procedures and technologies to help Sniffies build on their trust and safety efforts.

But users aren’t buying what Gallagher is selling. The Instagram post announcing the news was flooded with negative reactions, with users expressing concern over the strategic partnership. “Please don’t let this be a correction for sniffers,” one expressed. “You’ve sold out. Plain and simple. Where do we move on to the next boys?” Added Mark Sundstrom, a user in Philadelphia. Another wrote: “The partnership with Match seems prestigious and very straightforward. I’m very concerned about letting the app be what it is in order to attract investors.” By Tuesday afternoon, comments on the post were closed.

Although it remains to be seen how Gallagher will position Sniffies in the coming months, users are already saying this marks the beginning of the end for the app. “Straight people shouldn’t even know what a sniffer is He is “For fuck’s sake,” someone wrote on the r/askgaybros subreddit. Despite the promises, some say a major company like Match doesn’t ethically align with Sniffies’ independent spirit. On LinkedIn, the top comment under Gallagher’s post questioned the true intent behind Match Group’s investment. “I’m interested to see how the relationship with Palantir impacts Sniffies’ growth. We hope this doesn’t become a surveillance app.

Spencer Rascoff, who became CEO of Match Group in 2025, previously served on the board of Palantir, the defense technology and data mining company that became the “technology backbone” of the Trump administration.

Sniffies confirms that it will continue to own and control how it stores, processes and protects its user data. According to the company, there are no planned changes to its data practices as part of the investment.

But the outrage highlights the importance of platforms like Sniffies and what that could mean for a community of people who already feel they have very few options for seeking desire online.

“It’s a mess and it’s obviously to be expected,” says Brad Allen, the 34-year-old event producer and creator of Club Quarantine, who joined Sniffies in 2023. “It’s definitely an indicator of its meteoric rise, so there’s no shadow, but we saw what happened with Grindr.” Bushes.”