Grindr, a popular hookup app, has agreed to a substantial payout following the settlement of a lawsuit in the United Kingdom. The lawsuit claimed that Grindr had shared sensitive user information, including HIV status, with advertisers. The California-based company will pay £26 million (about $48.6 million Canadian) to approximately 12,000 individuals who joined a claim filed by London law firm Austen Hays in 2024.
Allegations in the claim suggest that Grindr breached U.K. privacy laws before April 2020 by sharing data with third-party companies in exchange for payment or commercial benefits. This data included details such as users’ HIV status, recent HIV testing history, PrEP usage, and was shared with companies like Localytics and Apptimize for targeted advertising purposes.
While users voluntarily provide this information and can choose to display it on their profiles, the lawsuit asserts that the data may have been further sold to additional parties. Austen Hays emphasized the importance of holding Grindr accountable to restore user confidence in how their data is handled, particularly within the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Eligible claimants who used the free version of the app between 2016 and 2020 could receive £2,167 or $4,050 Canadian each. The settlement is expected to be paid out in two installments, with the first half by the end of the current year and the remainder by March 31, 2027, as per a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Grindr clarified in the filing that the settlement does not imply any admission of liability. The company acknowledged the concerns raised by some U.K. users regarding the period before 2020. This legal development in the U.K. follows a previous incident in Norway, where Grindr was fined for unlawfully sharing user data.
Grindr, known as the world’s largest social networking app for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, was previously owned by Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., a Chinese gaming company. The U.S. government mandated Kunlun to divest from Grindr due to data handling concerns, leading to its sale to San Vicente Acquisition LLC. Despite these challenges, Grindr continues to maintain a significant user base and revenue stream.
