UK regulator Ofcom examines age checks on dating app Sniffies
According to media reports, entering a date of birth over 18 is enough to use the casual-encounter app. Ofcom is in contact with the company – Sniffies denies any breach.
Archive image · Photo: Jim Linwood / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Britain's media regulator Ofcom is examining whether minors can access the dating app Sniffies without effective age checks. The Telegraph reported on the matter on 24 October, and trade outlets Global Dating Insights and Online Personals Watch picked up the report on 26 October. According to them, anonymous users can enter any date of birth showing them to be adults without their age being verified; they can then message others and view registered profiles. Ofcom confirmed it is in contact with the company about its compliance with the Online Safety Act.
Sniffies launched in 2018 and is aimed at gay men seeking casual encounters; an interactive map shows nearby users. The California-based company has around three million monthly active users worldwide. In April 2026, Match Group, which also owns Tinder and Hinge, invested 100 million dollars for a minority stake. In the US, the platform had already faced criticism over criminal cases in which adults are accused of having met minors through the app.
Under the Online Safety Act, platforms hosting pornographic content must use “highly effective” age checks. Labour MP Chi Onwurah raised concerns about the app's safeguards and questioned Ofcom's oversight. Sniffies denies any wrongdoing: UK users, including anonymous visitors, must complete age assurance before viewing pornographic content; explicit material is blocked for those who have not, and accounts linked to grooming are permanently suspended, the company says. Ofcom has not yet announced any outcome.
This article is for information only and is not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. Figures as of the date stated.