Grindr, a dating app for gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, will pay £26 million to settle a lawsuit brought by thousands of users in the UK over allegations that the platform shared highly sensitive personal information with advertising companies.
The settlement brings an end to a two-year legal battle following a claim filed at the High Court of England and Wales in April 2024 by UK law firm Austen Hays on behalf of Grindr users.
The users alleged that the dating app violated UK privacy laws by sharing sensitive personal information, including, in some cases, users’ HIV status, with advertising companies during a period up to early 2020.
Austen Hays represented about 12,000 people in the case. If the £26 million settlement is distributed equally, each claimant would receive an average of about £2,167.
Grindr was founded in 2009 to help gay men coordinate social and dating connections. The company now describes itself as the world’s largest dating app for gay, bisexual, trans and queer people, with nearly 15 million users globally.
In a US regulatory filing, Grindr said it had resolved the UK group action concerning what it described as “historical data practices before 2020”.
The company said Grindr was owned and controlled by Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech during the period covered by the allegations.
Grindr said the settlement contained no findings or admission of liability.
“While Grindr disputes the allegations, it recognises and acknowledges the distress and loss of trust expressed by some of its UK users regarding that pre-2020 period,” the company said.
Under the settlement, Grindr agreed to pay £13 million by the end of 2026 and a further £13 million by the end of March 2027.
