
Lex is almost an anti-dating dating app and that makes it stand out in this crowd. According to the folks at Lex, Lex is short for lexicon, which makes sense when you use the app because it's goal is text-first, selfies second. Lex is like an old school personal ad site, where users post short, text-based ads or stories. Targeted at the lesbian, queer, trans, non-binary, and gender nonconforming community, Lex isn't for everyone. For people in those groups looking for a pretty safe space to find friends, lovers, sex partners, or community, it's a nice place to go. Lex's biggest community rule is "No Creeps Allowed" and they put a real emphasis of their community guidelines. Users can link to their Instagram or keep things picture free if they chose. All in all, Lex is a different sort of dating app that feels less meat market and more meet who you want and go from there.
What could happen if something goes wrong?
We love Lex because they seem to collect as little data on their users as possible. We also love that any data they do collect they won't sell or provide to third parties for marketing purposes. Yay for lean data practices, something that seems especially uncommon in the world of dating apps. Their privacy policy is easy to read and includes a security section that addresses strong passwords, how they will handle a security breach, and the risks involved in sharing any personal data online. Lex is almost perfect, but not quite. One thing we'd love to see them add to their privacy policy is how users can delete any data they do collect on users. Lex users can delete their account, however it is unclear what happens to any data Lex might have on their end when you delete your account. The good thing is, we know Lex doesn't collect very much data. Users can link their Instagram account to Lex, which isn't a bad thing. Just know that Instagram, owned by Facebook, does collect a lot of users data. Because Lex is a text-based dating app with a personal ads focus, there are no algorithms running in the background determining who you will and will not meet, so no chance for any bias in who you will meet, other than your own. What could happen if something goes wrong on Lex? We're not worried about a whole lot. Lex feels like one of the sites where things are more likely to go right. However, for people who are lesbian, non-binary, trans, or gender non-conforming and not out or safe in their communities, it's always good to use caution.
Can it snoop on me?
Camera
Device: N/A
App: No
Microphone
Device: N/A
App: Yes
Tracks location
Device: N/A
App: Yes
What can be used to sign up?
Yes
Phone
Yes
Third-party account
No
Either phone or email
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Username (required), location (required), pronouns (required)
Body related
None
Social
Lex users can be link to their Instagram if they want to share pictures with others on the app (Lex is a language-based dating app). It does not appear that Lex is collecting data from Instagram. However, Lex's Privacy Policy does not provide clear information on this.
How does the company use this data?
How can you control your data?
What is the company’s known track record of protecting users’ data?
No known incidents in the last two years.
Can this product be used offline?
User-friendly privacy information?
Lex tries to collect as little data on it users as possible. However, the one thing missing from it is how users can delete data. For clarification: on the app users can delete their account account but it isn't clear what happens to that data.
Links to privacy information
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
Strong password
Password requires eight characters, one letter and one number.
Security updates
Manages vulnerabilities
Lex users are encouraged to contact [email protected] in case of any security or data privacy concerns. All reports are handled internally by the Lex Engineering team. Additionally, the Lex source code and dependencies are automatically and regularly scanned for security vulnerabilities.
Privacy policy
The Privacy Policy includes a section on Security, which is great to see! It's quite high-level, lacking some details, but it's good to see that Lex is putting security at the heart of their privacy commitment.
Dive Deeper
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How to use Lex, a queer dating app with no profile photos or cisgender menInsider
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Lex, a dating app, is the opposite of Tinder — and might be my queer utopiaMic
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Lex Is the Lesbian and Queer Dating App That Puts Language FirstAllure
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Lex Is the New Photo-Free Dating App That Anyone With Swiping-Fatigue Has Been Waiting ForWell and Good
Comments
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