Grindr, a popular hookup app, has agreed to a substantial settlement in the U.K. following a lawsuit that accused the company of sharing sensitive user information, such as HIV status, with advertisers. The California-based company will pay £26 million (about $48.6 million Cdn) to approximately 12,000 individuals who joined the claim initiated by London law firm Austen Hays in 2024. The lawsuit alleged that Grindr breached U.K. privacy laws by disclosing data to third parties for financial gain before April 2020, when Grindr revised its consent policies.
The shared data included details like users’ HIV status, recent testing information, and PrEP usage. This information was voluntarily provided by users and could be chosen to be displayed on their profiles. The lawsuit asserted that this data was shared with companies like Localytics and Apptimize for targeted advertising purposes, and possibly sold to additional entities.
Austen Hays highlighted that Grindr serves a vital role in the 2SLGBTQ+ community by facilitating connections for gay, bisexual, trans, and queer individuals. The law firm emphasized the importance of holding Grindr accountable to rebuild trust in how user data is handled.
Users who used the free version of the app between 2016 and 2020 may be eligible for compensation of £2,167 or $4,050 Cdn each, if distributed equally. According to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Grindr plans to disburse the settlement in two installments, with the first half by the end of this year and the remainder by March 31, 2027.
Grindr clarified that the settlement does not imply any admission of liability, but acknowledges the concerns and loss of trust expressed by some U.K. users regarding the pre-2020 period. This legal issue in the U.K. followed a significant fine imposed by the Norwegian government on Grindr in 2021 for unlawfully sharing user data.
Grindr, promoted as the largest social networking app for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals worldwide, was previously owned by Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd. The U.S. government mandated Kunlun to divest from Grindr due to data security concerns, leading to its acquisition by San Vicente Acquisition LLC in 2020. Despite these controversies, Grindr claims over 15 million monthly active users globally and reported substantial revenue in its latest investor update.
