NHRC Issues Notice Over Extramarital Dating App Gleeden

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a formal notice to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) regarding the operations of Gleeden, a dating app designed for people in committed relationships seeking extramarital connections.

The notice, issued on April 9th, follows a complaint by the Delhi-based non-profit Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation. The complaint raised concerns about potential misuse of the platform, including the use of fake identities, risks of exploitation of women, and possible access by underage users. The NHRC has asked MeitY to examine Gleeden’s legal standing in India and assess whether adequate safeguards exist to protect women and minors. The ministry must submit an action-taken report by April 23, 2026.

Gleeden, founded in France in 2009 and owned by Blackdivine Group, has grown significantly in India. The app reports over four million users, with strong activity in cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune. It positions itself as a discreet space for married or partnered individuals.

This development comes amid broader regulatory investigation of digital platforms in India. While adultery has been decriminalised since 2018, making extramarital dating a legal act, it’s understandable that extra scrutiny may be focused on Gleeden in particular. The current notice also follows a recent NHRC communication to MeitY in March 2026 regarding compliance with child data protection norms under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act.