In brief
LGBTQ+ app Grindr has agreed to pay £26 m to settle a class‑action lawsuit that accused it of sharing users’ HIV status and other personal data with third‑party data analytics providers. The allegations stem from practices used before 2020 when the company was owned by Kunlun, and the settlement is split into two £13 m payments. Grindr denies the misconduct but acknowledges that the actions caused distress among users. Regulatory bodies in Norway and the UK had already fined or reprimanded the company for its data practices. The company has pledged to improve privacy safeguards and maintain user trust moving forward.
Grindr, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ dating app, has agreed to pay £26 m to settle a lawsuit that accused it of sharing users’ HIV status and other personal data with third‑party data analytics firms.
The class‑action suit was filed in the UK High Court in 2024 and later served in the United States, with a law firm reporting over 11,000 claimants. According to a U.S. securities filing, Grindr will make two payments of £13 m each – the first by 31 December and the second by 31 March 2027.
The allegations centre on “historical data practices” before 2020, when the company was owned by Chinese firm Kunlun. Grindr stated it had ceased sharing HIV data with the two analytics providers – Apptimize and Localytics – after 2020.
Regulators had already fined the company £5.5 m in Norway and reprimanded it in the UK for similar data‑sharing practices. In a statement filed with the SEC, Grindr said it had overhauled its privacy measures to better serve its community but does not admit liability.
Lawyer Chaya Hanoomanjee, who led the claim, said claimants experienced “significant distress” over their private data being disclosed. Grindr’s settlement aims to address the harm caused to users and restore confidence in its data handling.
