Sex app Tinder in public meltdown – because a journo dared suggest it was, well, a sex app

People ... using the internet ... to sleep with each other? Egad

Dating app developer Tinder went ballistic this week over the suggestion people might use it for facilitating casual sex.

The official Twitter feed for the swipe-for-sexytime appmaker became an angry rant platform Tuesday after a Vanity Fair writer had the gall to suggest that attractive young professionals are using Tinder to get laid.

The article, titled "Tinder and the Dawn of the Dating Apocalypse" paints a less than flattering picture of the dating app and the people who use it, suggesting many on Tinder are only interested in casual sex.

This, in turn, led someone in Tinder's public relations department to take exception and unleash the following screed:

It's disappointing that @VanityFair thought that the tiny number of people you found for your article represent our entire global userbase 😏

— Tinder (@Tinder) August 11, 2015

Next time reach out to us first @nancyjosales… that’s what journalists typically do.

— Tinder (@Tinder) August 11, 2015

The Tinder Generation is real. Our users are creating it. But it’s not at all what you portray it to be.

— Tinder (@Tinder) August 11, 2015

Tinder creates experiences. We create connections that otherwise never would have been made. 8 billion of them to date, in fact.

— Tinder (@Tinder) August 11, 2015

Tinder users are on Tinder to meet people for all kinds of reasons. Sure, some of them — men and women — want to hook up.

— Tinder (@Tinder) August 11, 2015

Tinder then goes on to talk up the social importance of the app, including how it is used to circumvent dictatorial government regimes.

Talk to the female journalist in Pakistan who wrote just yesterday about using Tinder to find a relationship where being gay is illegal.

— Tinder (@Tinder) August 11, 2015

Talk to our many users in China and North Korea who find a way to meet people on Tinder even though Facebook is banned.

— Tinder (@Tinder) August 11, 2015

Tinder also took exception to the suggestion that many of its users were cheating spouses, an allegation made by writer Nancy Jo Sales.

Hey @nancyjosales — that survey is incorrect. If you're interested in having a factual conversation, we're here. https://t.co/SLWlTLvJuf

— Tinder (@Tinder) August 11, 2015

Even before the Vanity Fair article went up, Tinder made an effort to shake the notion that it's just a "hookup" tool. The site's Twitter feed includes a number of posts showcasing couples who met on the site and later married.

This is Mike & Andrew's first photo as an engaged couple 😍💍💚 Full #SwipedRight story here: http://t.co/I4aVJOUrCJ pic.twitter.com/S19E0WG02d

— Tinder (@Tinder) August 6, 2015

Vanity Fair is not alone in bemoaning the Tinder "hookup culture." In May, officials in Rhode Island named the app as one of the reasons sexually transmitted disease cases were climbing in the state.

Tinder itself has not been without controversy. In 2014 a former vice president filed suit alleging sexual harassment. The suit was ultimately settled out of court.

In March of this year, Tinder hired new CEO Chris Payne to oversee day-to-day operations. Now it's rumored cofounder Sean Rad (we believe that is his real name) is back at the biz as CEO after he was fired from the startup last year.

A few months ago, parent company IAC said Tinder would be spun off as part of a new unit that includes fellow dating app Match.com. The spin-off company is set for an IPO later this year. ®