Grindr, the popular hookup app, has agreed to a significant settlement in a U.K. lawsuit over allegations of selling sensitive user information, such as HIV status, to advertisers. The California-based company will pay approximately $48.6 million Canadian to around 12,000 individuals who joined the claim initiated by London law firm Austen Hays in 2024.
The lawsuit contends that Grindr breached U.K. privacy laws by sharing user data with third-party companies before April 2020, in exchange for compensation or commercial advantages. This shared data included details like users’ HIV status, recent testing dates, test results, and PrEP usage.
Users voluntarily provide this information and have the option to display it on their profiles. However, the lawsuit alleges that Grindr shared this data with external entities like Localytics and Apptimize, enabling targeted advertising based on users’ information, and potentially selling the data to other parties.
Austen Hays highlighted that Grindr is crucial in facilitating dates and encounters for the LGBTQ+ community and emphasized the need for accountability in handling user data to rebuild trust.
Eligible claimants who used the free version of Grindr between 2016 and 2020 may receive £2,167 or $4,050 Canadian each from the settlement. Grindr plans to disburse the settlement in two installments, with the first half scheduled by the end of this year and the remainder by March 31, 2027, as per a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Despite disputing the allegations, Grindr acknowledged the loss of trust expressed by some U.K. users regarding the period before 2020. The company clarified that the settlement does not imply any admission of liability.
Previously, Norway’s government fined Grindr for illegally sharing user data, leading to a legal challenge that Grindr lost in 2024. Grindr, once owned by Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., was sold to private investors for $620 million US in 2020, following concerns over data handling.
With over 15 million monthly active users globally, Grindr reported revenue of $138 million US in the second quarter of 2026, according to its latest investor report.
