Among all gay dating apps Brennan Zubrick uses, They smella dating app for men who like to meet other men for free sex, is his favorite. Some of the the most popular music among the members on the forum include edging, cum play, and BDSM. “I prefer the experience I get and the community I can reach,” he tells WIRED. But Zubrick, who is 40 and lives in Washington, DC, has a bad feeling that could soon change.
Tinder and Hinge Parent company Match Group announced Monday a $100 million investment in Sniffies. The deal gives Match Group a majority minority stake and the option to become sole owner later. The announcement has set off a firestorm of reaction from users who are speculating on the company’s direction and long-term sustainability of the app.
“Sniffies has long been in its niche as a niche, catering to a specific segment of the gay community, and it’s somewhere people who might not be comfortable with Grindr—where the no-face, no-chat culture is prevalent—go to connect with other like-minded people in a direct and discreet way,” Zubrick tells WIRED.
“This partnership is about supporting that, not redefining it,” Sniffies founder and CEO Blake Gallagher said in statementnoting that the investment will help the platform focus on three key areas that users want: “more trust and security, greater network growth, and continuous product improvement.” According to the agreement, Match Group will provide guidance on the roles, procedures and appropriate technology to help the United Nations maintain its trust and security efforts.
But consumers aren’t buying what Gallagher is selling. The Instagram post announcing the news was fraught with negative effects, as consumers expressed concern about strategic alliances. “Please don’t let this be a stinker,” one explained. “You sold yourself. Plain and simple. Where do we move next boys?” added Marc Sundstrom, a user in Philadelphia. “Participating with Match feels sophisticated and direct. I’m very concerned about the app being allowed to be what it is to court investors,” wrote another. As of Tuesday afternoon, comments on the post had been closed.
While 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 program. “Straight people shouldn’t even know what Sniffies are it is for fighting,” one he wrote in the r/askgaybros subreddit. And despite the promise, some say a major organization like Match isn’t ethically aligned with Sniffies’ indie spirit. On LinkedIn, the high opinion under Gallagher’s post he questioned the real intent behind Match Group’s investment. “I’m curious to see how the relationship with Palantir affects the growth of Sniffies. Hopefully this won’t be a follow-on application.”
Spencer Rascoff, who became CEO of Match Group in 2025, previously served on the board of Palantira security technology and data mining company that has been “technological backbone” of the Trump administration.
Snifies maintains that it will continue to own and control how its user data is stored, handled and protected. According to the company, no changes are planned to its data practices as part of the investment.
But the outrage underscores the importance of platforms like Sniffies and what it will mean for a community of people who already feel like they have few quality options for finding their passion online.
“It’s a mess and it’s obviously to be expected. It’s definitely an indicator of his rapid rise, so there’s no shade, but we saw what happened and Grinding,” says Brad Allen, the 34-year-old event producer and producer behind it Club Quarantinewho joined Sniffies in 2023. “I kind of encourage you to navigate this in a different way because it’s important to the travel community right now. Hopefully the Candy Crush pop-ups won’t burn too much in the bushes.”
