In a bid to engage his 512,000 TikTok followers, relationship consultant Chad Franklin has taken to sharing private chats from his clients, who pay more than $5,000 for his services. In September, he posted a message conversation in which a woman implied she couldn’t afford an Uber, overlaying it with the caption “Don’t date poor women!” Later that month, he showcased a successful exchange from a client’s Hinge conversation, highlighting the need to “flirt over margaritas.” In the video, Franklin can barely contain his excitement, asserting that this is the kind of face-to-face banter that “gets men going”: “This is what men look for. We take the lead, and you just follow.”
Chad Franklin’s Mission to Empower Men
Operating under the pseudonym @DefundSimping, Franklin aims to assist heterosexual men focused on their careers, particularly those navigating post-breakup or post-divorce phases, to shed what he defines as “simp” behaviour—putting women on a pedestal or giving them excessive attention. Recently, WIRED reached out to the 30-year-old content creator to discuss Hinge’s initiative to test anti-screenshot protection in India. This announcement sparked a flurry of reactions online, reigniting debates around digital etiquette, privacy, and shame.
“Anyone who has downloaded the app has witnessed the excesses and drama. People know they might become the next meme moment, but that doesn’t mean they deserve it,” Franklin explains, noting that being online in 2026 inherently carries the risk of becoming the day’s headline, whether one desires it or not.
The Impact of Screenshots on Privacy
Numerous TikTok users, alongside accounts like @hingestrange and other online creators, have built entire brands around taking screenshots and sharing peculiar dating profile questions, cringe-worthy pickup lines, or red flags observed while swiping. However, critics of this trend argue that it constitutes a form of public humiliation that ought to cease. In light of Hinge’s decision to disable screenshot capabilities for profiles in India, some have expressed relief.
“People have turned the dating app experience into a window for cruelty. This could represent the first ethical advancement in online dating in years,” remarked writer Tres Dean on social media. Another user, @randy_mossad, commented, “It’s better for a million cheaters to go unpunished than for a regular person seeking love to be humiliated by chat leaks.” In a TikTok, Florida-based creator Kiara acknowledged the change, despite having previously shared screenshots to shame men exhibiting hypersexual or “disrespectful” behaviour on their profiles. “But now I’ve realised we are in an apocalyptic era of ‘men hating’… Women are posting profiles of men simply because they aren’t attracted to them,” she added, labelling this latest trend as incorrect and cruel.
Emerging Trends in Online Dating Privacy
As many people express disappointment with dating apps, there is a growing interest in finding ways to connect and communicate that are more private and less performative. While apps like Raya and Grindr have already implemented screenshot protection, the trial in India marks Hinge’s first foray into this feature. The initiative will prevent screenshots in sections displaying identifiable profile information, such as “Discover,” “Who Likes You,” and “Highlights.”
The company confirmed that the trials in India are part of an effort to help singles build trust among each other and with the platform. The results will determine whether Hinge rolls out this feature in other markets, although there are currently no plans for implementation in the US or elsewhere.
A 2025 study published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication suggested that screenshots create a “privacy turbulence,” allowing recipients to permanently store and redistribute private conversations without the original sender’s knowledge or consent, indicating that the screenshot function removes a shared boundary of control and context.
Balancing Safety and Privacy Concerns
However, for certain women, taking screenshots of profiles has become a necessary precaution for evaluating potential suitors. “Privacy conflicts with safety. Screenshots can document inappropriate behaviour or allow someone to consult a friend before meeting a stranger,” states Lizzie Li, a communication researcher. She points out that communities like “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” emerged partly because women shared screenshots to address safety concerns.
When asked about the company’s responsibility to prevent user profiles from becoming public content, especially with 30 million users currently on the app, a Hinge spokesperson explained that screenshot protection, alongside the “Comment Filter” and the “Did this bother you?” function, is another way to help users control how and where their personal data is shared.
Singles will still be able to screenshot messages with other matches if they wish to report a profile for potential safety issues, providing an additional layer of protection for women on dating apps, where they disproportionately experience harassment and privacy violations. Hinge’s community guidelines prohibit harassment, bullying, and intimidation.
Franklin’s Perspective on Digital Responsibility
“When you’re an observer, it’s quite obvious that a privacy violation is occurring, and most people wouldn’t want this to happen to them. Yet discomfort hasn’t curbed this behaviour. The disclosure of dating profiles reflects a broader sense of entitlement to others’ data,” argues Alexis Ingber, an assistant professor at Syracuse University, whose research focuses on privacy and emerging technologies.
Conversely, Franklin, who has a knack for crafting shareable soundbites for videos, does not believe dating apps have a duty to protect users from becoming the butt of jokes on social media. “If you venture into the dragon’s lair, it’s possible the dragon will breathe fire,” he explains.
Nevertheless, with 20 clients on his roster, he asserts that he takes great care to conceal “every name, every mouth, every face and every eye” when sharing screenshots, understanding that people fear being publicly shamed. As the Zoom call draws to a close, he argues that there’s a straightforward way to avoid the issue altogether: “If you don’t want to be exposed, just don’t sign up for a dating app. Approach a girl in a park. Go to a mall. Do it the old-fashioned way.”