In brief
Grindr has agreed to pay £26 million to settle a UK class‑action lawsuit accusing the company of sharing users’ HIV status with third‑party advertisers. The claim centred on data practices that took place before 2020 when the app was owned by a Chinese firm. The settlement, split into two £13 million payments, is reached without an admission of liability. Grindr says it has revamped its privacy policies and remains committed to protecting users’ information. The case highlights the growing scrutiny of data privacy among tech companies.
Grindr, the world’s biggest LGBTQ+ dating app, has agreed to pay £26 million to resolve a class‑action lawsuit that alleged the platform shared users’ HIV status and other personal data with third‑party advertisers.
The lawsuit began in 2024 in the UK High Court after a law firm representing more than 11,000 claimants alleged that Grindr’s data‑analytics partners – including Apptimize and Localytics – received sensitive health and demographic information. The claimants said the information was used to tailor advertisements without consent, violating UK privacy law.
Under the settlement, Grindr will make two payments of £13 million, one by the end of 2023 and the second by March 2027. The company states it accepts no liability and that the payments are a financial resolution to the dispute.
Grindr’s spokesperson highlighted that the controversy relates to “historical data practices” from before 2020, when the app was owned by Kunlun, and that it has since overhauled its privacy framework to better protect user information.
In earlier investigations, Grindr was fined £5.5 million by Norway’s data‑protection watchdog and warned by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office for past data practices. The company now markets itself as a safe space that prioritises transparency, user control, and responsible data handling.
This settlement underscores the heightened scrutiny of data privacy in the tech sector, especially for platforms serving vulnerable communities. It also signals that users will increasingly hold companies accountable for how their personal and health data is treated.
