Grindr, the popular hookup app, has reached a substantial settlement in the U.K. following a lawsuit that accused the company of selling sensitive user information, including HIV status, to advertisers. The California-based firm 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 alleged that Grindr breached U.K. privacy laws by sharing user data with third-party companies for financial gain before April 2020.
The shared data reportedly included details such as users’ HIV status, recent testing dates, test results, and PrEP usage. This information, voluntarily provided by users, could be displayed on their profiles based on their preference. The lawsuit claimed that Grindr shared this data with companies like Localytics and Apptimize for targeted advertising purposes and potentially sold it to other parties.
Austen Hays emphasized the pivotal role Grindr plays in the 2SLGBTQ+ community, facilitating connections and encounters for individuals within this demographic. The firm stressed the importance of holding Grindr accountable to restore user trust in how their data is handled. Eligible claimants who used the free version of the app between 2016 and 2020 are entitled to £2,167 or $4,050 Cdn each from the settlement.
According to a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Grindr clarified that the settlement does not imply any admission of liability. Despite disputing the allegations, Grindr acknowledged the concerns and loss of trust expressed by some U.K. users regarding the period before 2020. This legal action in the U.K. followed a similar incident in Norway, where Grindr was fined 100 million Norwegian kroner in 2021 for unlawfully sharing user data.
Grindr, once solely owned by Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., underwent a change in ownership due to data handling concerns. The U.S. government mandated Kunlun to divest its ownership of Grindr, leading to its acquisition by San Vicente Acquisition LLC for $620 million US in 2020. The company, which claims to have over 15 million monthly active users globally, generated $138 million US ($190 million CAD) in revenue in the second quarter of 2026.