The popular dating app Grindr has reached a significant settlement in a U.K. lawsuit over allegations that confidential data, including users’ HIV status, was shared with advertisers. The California-headquartered company has agreed to pay around $48.6 million Canadian 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 disclosing data to other entities in exchange for payment or commercial advantages before April 2020, when Grindr revised its consent policies. This information encompassed users’ HIV status, recent HIV test details, PrEP usage, and more.
According to the lawsuit, this data was shared with third parties, such as advertising firms Localytics and Apptimize, for targeted advertising purposes. The lawsuit further alleges that this data might have been passed on to additional parties.
Austen Hays emphasized that Grindr users might have assumed their information was only visible to other app users, underscoring Grindr’s significance in the LGBTQ+ community for facilitating connections among gay, bisexual, trans, and queer adults. The firm stressed the importance of holding Grindr accountable to restore user trust in data handling practices.
Claimants eligible for compensation, who used the free version of Grindr between 2016 and 2020, are entitled to receive £2,167 or $4,050 Canadian each if distributed equally. Grindr is set to disburse the initial half of the settlement by the end of this year and the remaining portion by March 31, 2027, as per a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Grindr clarified in the SEC filing that the settlement does not imply any admission of liability. While Grindr disputes the allegations, it acknowledges the concerns expressed by some U.K. users about the period preceding 2020.
The U.K. lawsuit follows Norway’s imposition of a 100 million Norwegian kroner fine on Grindr in 2021 for unlawfully sharing data from the app’s free version. Grindr’s appeal against Norway’s decision was unsuccessful in 2024.
Grindr, described as the largest social networking app for LGBTQ+ individuals globally, was previously owned by Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., a Chinese gaming company. Following government directives due to data privacy concerns, San Vicente Acquisition LLC acquired Grindr for $620 million US in 2020.
Grindr, founded in 2009, boasts over 15 million monthly active users worldwide. Its latest investor report disclosed revenue of $138 million US ($190 million CAD) in the second quarter of 2026.