Grindr, the popular dating app, has reached a significant settlement in a U.K. lawsuit that accused the company of sharing sensitive user data, such as 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 the claim filed by London law firm Austen Hays in 2024.
The lawsuit alleges that Grindr breached U.K. privacy laws by sharing user data with third-party companies for financial gain before April 2020, when Grindr updated its consent policies. This data included information about users’ HIV status, recent testing dates, and PrEP usage.
According to the lawsuit, this sensitive information was shared with companies like Localytics and Apptimize, enabling targeted advertising based on user data. The lawsuit also suggests that this data might have been further sold to additional parties.
Austen Hays emphasized that Grindr, known for its role in the 2SLGBTQ+ community, must be held accountable for mishandling user data to restore trust among its users. Eligible claimants who used the free version of the app between 2016 and 2020 stand to receive £2,167 or $4,050 Cdn each from the settlement.
Grindr clarified in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that the settlement does not imply any admission of liability, although it acknowledges the concerns and loss of trust expressed by some U.K. users regarding the pre-2020 period.
This legal action follows a previous case in Norway, where Grindr was fined for unlawfully sharing user data. Despite challenging the decision, Grindr lost its appeal in 2024.
Grindr, once wholly owned by Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., has been under scrutiny for its data practices. The U.S. government mandated Kunlun to divest from Grindr due to concerns over data handling, leading to the app’s acquisition by San Vicente Acquisition LLC in 2020.
Established in 2009, Grindr boasts more than 15 million monthly active users globally. The company reported a revenue of $138 million US ($190 million CAD) in the second quarter of 2026, as per its latest investor report.