Dating app Grindr settles UK privacy lawsuit for £26 million

Grindr has agreed to pay £26 million to settle a UK lawsuit from thousands of users over sharing personal sensitive data, including HIV status, with advertisers.

 

In April 2024, law firm Austen Hays filed a class-action lawsuit representing over 650 claimants—with thousands more UK users believed to be affected—alleging that Grindr used "covert tracking technology" to share highly personal data with advertisers. Given its massive reach of 13 million monthly users globally and nearly 924,000 in the UK, these allegations highlight significant scrutiny over the app’s compliance with data privacy laws.

 

The claim alleges that Grindr shared sensitive user data, including ethnicity and sexual orientation, with third parties for commercial purposes both before and after April 2018, citing companies such as Apptimize and Localytics as data recipients used to tailor advertisements.

 

This settlement concludes a two-year courtroom struggle led by the firm on behalf of 12,000 participants, who are each positioned to secure an average reimbursement of £2,167 provided the £26 million pool is divided equally.

 

In a filing with the United States Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Grindr said that on September 2, the company resolved the “UK group action related to historical data practices before 2020, when Grindr was owned and controlled by the Chinese conglomerate Kunlun. 

 

“The settlement includes no findings or admission of liability. While Grindr disputes the allegations, it recognises and acknowledges the distress and loss of trust expressed by some of its UK users regarding that pre-2020 period.” 

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Grindr is scheduled to disburse £13.0 million to the plaintiffs by December 31, 2026, followed by another £13.0 million payment on March 31, 2027—amounts roughly equivalent to $17.6 million each, based on the conversion rate recorded on September 3, 2026.

 

The company also noted that it has completely upgraded its privacy protections since 2020 to better serve its community’s specific needs. Grindr emphasised that it continues to provide a safe, secure environment for its members, maintaining a strong commitment to transparency, user privacy controls, and responsible data management.