Grindr, a popular hookup app, has agreed to a substantial settlement in the U.K. following allegations that it unlawfully shared sensitive user data, including HIV status, with advertisers. The California-based company has agreed to pay £26 million (approximately $48.6 million Cdn) to around 12,000 individuals who joined a claim filed by London law firm Austen Hays in 2024. The claim accused Grindr of breaching U.K. privacy laws by sharing user data with third parties before April 2020, when Grindr updated its consent guidelines.
The shared data included users’ HIV status, recent testing information, and usage of HIV prevention medication. This data, voluntarily provided by users, could be displayed on their profiles. The lawsuit alleges that this information was shared with advertising companies Localytics and Apptimize, allowing targeted ads based on user data, and potentially sold to other parties.
Austen Hays, highlighting Grindr’s significance in the 2SLGBTQ+ community for facilitating connections, emphasized the need for accountability in handling user data. Eligible users of the free app between 2016 and 2020 may receive £2,167 or $4,050 Cdn each from the settlement. Grindr plans to disburse the settlement in two parts, with the first half by year-end and the remainder by March 31, 2027, as per a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Grindr clarified that the settlement does not imply admission of liability, although it acknowledges users’ concerns and loss of trust regarding the pre-2020 data sharing. This U.K. lawsuit follows Norway’s fine of 100 million Norwegian kroner in 2021 for similar data sharing practices. Despite contesting the decision, Grindr lost its appeal in 2024.
Notably, Grindr was previously owned by Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., with a majority stake since 2016, before being acquired by private investors in 2020. The U.S. government compelled Kunlun to divest its ownership due to data handling concerns, leading to the approved acquisition by San Vicente Acquisition LLC. Grindr, established in 2009, claims over 15 million monthly active users globally and reported a revenue of $138 million US ($190 million CAD) in the second quarter of 2026.
