Grindr Pays £26m to Settle HIV Data Privacy Lawsuit

The world’s largest LGBTQ+ dating app has agreed to pay a total of £26m to settle a high‑profile lawsuit that accused it of sharing users’ personal information—including HIV status—with third‑party firms.

The claim, filed in the UK High Court in 2024, was later served in the United States where a law firm said it represented more than 11,000 claimants. Grindr’s settlement will be paid in two instalments: a £13m payment by 31 December, and a further £13m by 31 March 2027.

No Admission of Liability, but Acknowledgement of Distress

In a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Grindr said it does not admit liability but recognises the distress that some of its UK users experienced over its historical data practices. It also notes the company changed its privacy policies in 2020 after being sold to a new owner.

Third‑Party Data Sharing

The lawsuit named two analytics services—Apptimize and Localytics—as third‑party recipients of sensitive data. The claim alleged that these firms used user details, such as ethnicity, sexual orientation and HIV status, to tailor advertising. An earlier investigation in 2018 found that Grindr had passed HIV status information to the same analytics firms, though the company stopped sharing that data thereafter.

Grindr faced a £5.5m fine from Norway’s data protection watchdog in 2019 and was later reprimanded by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office for its privacy practices.

Future Commitments

The company reiterated its commitment to transparency, user control and responsible data use. While the settlement funds will address the claimants’ concerns, Grindr maintains that it has continued to innovate while respecting user privacy.