Grindr, the popular hookup app, has agreed to a substantial settlement in a U.K. lawsuit over allegations of sharing sensitive user data, including HIV status, with advertisers. The California-based company will pay £26 million (about $48.6 million Cdn) to approximately 12,000 individuals who joined the claim filed by London law firm Austen Hays in 2024. The lawsuit accuses Grindr of breaching U.K. privacy laws by sharing user data with third parties before April 2020 in exchange for payment or commercial benefits.
Among the data shared were users’ HIV status, latest HIV testing details, PrEP usage, and other sensitive medical records. This information, voluntarily provided by users, could be displayed on their profiles according to their preference. The lawsuit claims that Grindr shared this data with companies like Localytics and Apptimize for targeted advertising purposes and may have sold it to additional parties.
Austen Hays, emphasizing Grindr’s significance in the 2SLGBTQ+ community for facilitating connections, highlights the need for accountability in safeguarding user data. Eligible claimants who used the free app version from 2016 to 2020 may receive £2,167 or $4,050 Cdn each from the settlement. Grindr is set to make the first payment by year-end and the remaining sum by March 31, 2027, as per a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Despite denying the allegations, Grindr acknowledges the concerns raised by its U.K. users regarding the pre-2020 period, emphasizing that the settlement does not imply liability. This legal action in the U.K. follows a previous incident where Norway fined Grindr for data sharing violations, a decision upheld by the court in 2024.
Grindr, previously owned by Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., underwent ownership changes due to data handling concerns, leading to its acquisition by San Vicente Acquisition LLC in 2020. The app, catering to the 2SLGBTQ+ community globally, reports over 15 million monthly active users. In the second quarter of 2026, Grindr generated $138 million US ($190 million CAD) in revenue, according to its latest investor report.