In brief
Globe‑wide gay dating app Grindr has agreed to pay £26 million to resolve a class‑action lawsuit that accused it of disclosing users’ HIV status to third‑party analytics firms. The settlement, announced after the High Court case in 2024, involves two £13 million payments but does not admit liability. Grindr highlights the practice was carried out before 2020, when the company was owned by Kunlun, and notes it has since overhauled its privacy policies. The lawsuit, backed by law firm Austen Hayes, cited the sharing of sensitive data—including ethnicity, sexual orientation and HIV test information—with vendors such as Apptimize and Localytics, potentially exposing millions of users to targeted advertising. Regulatory bodies have previously fined the company for similar breaches, but the settlement marks the first multi‑million‑pound outcome tied to user privacy. Grindr’s filing stresses that it remains a safe space for members and that the payment reflects efforts to rebuild trust. The move underscores ongoing concerns over data protection in the tech and dating‑app sectors.
Grindr agreed to pay £26 million to settle a lawsuit over allegations that it shared users’ HIV status with third parties.
The world’s largest LGBTQ+ dating app was sued in the High Court in 2024 after claims that it misused personal data. A class‑action suit in the U.S. involved more than 11,000 claimants, amounting to accusations that the app had disclosed sensitive HIV test results to analytics vendors such as Apptimize and Localytics.
According to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Grindr will send two £13 million installments: one before 31 December and a second by 31 March 2027. The company insisted there was no admission of liability but acknowledged the “significant distress” felt by some UK users.
Grindr highlighted that the alleged practices were linked to “historical data practices” before 2020, when the company was owned by Chinese firm Kunlun. Following 2018 revelations that it was sharing HIV data, Grindr stopped the practice and faced fines, including a £5.5 million penalty from Norway’s data protection watchdog and a reprimand from the U.K. Information Commissioner's Office.
The settlement reflects Grindr’s efforts to overhaul its privacy policies and restore trust. The company stated, “We are committed to transparency, user control, and responsible data practices.”
