Key facts
- Grindr will pay £26 million to settle a UK lawsuit.
- The lawsuit alleged the sharing of sensitive personal information, including HIV status, with advertising companies.
- Thousands of UK users are set to receive compensation.
- The settlement resolves a two-year legal battle concerning alleged violations of UK privacy laws.
- Grindr stated it disputes the allegations and that the settlement includes no admission of liability.
Grindr has agreed to pay £26 million to settle a lawsuit brought by thousands of users in the United Kingdom who alleged that the dating app shared sensitive personal information, including their HIV status, with advertising companies. The settlement concludes a two-year legal battle initiated in April 2024 by the UK law firm Austen Hays on behalf of its clients.
The lawsuit alleged violations of UK privacy laws concerning data practices up to early 2020. Austen Hays represented 12,000 individuals, who are expected to receive an average compensation of £2,167 each if the settlement amount is distributed equally. Grindr, founded in 2009 and now a prominent dating app for LGBTQ+ individuals globally, stated in a US regulatory filing that it had resolved the group action related to "historical data practices before 2020," when the company was owned by Chinese gaming firm Beijing Kunlun Tech.
Grindr disputes the allegations and emphasized that the settlement includes no findings or admission of liability. However, the company acknowledged the distress and loss of trust expressed by some UK users regarding the period before 2020. Following concerns raised by a US government national security panel about its Chinese ownership, Grindr was sold to new owners with new management six years ago and later floated on the New York Stock Exchange.
The company asserted that it has since 2020 overhauled its privacy program, focusing on the specific needs of its community and committed to transparency, user control, and responsible data practices. As part of the settlement terms, Grindr is required to pay £13 million by the end of this year and an additional £13 million by the end of March 2027.