Grindr will pay £26 million to settle a UK High Court privacy lawsuit.
Why it matters: The settlement ends a case over alleged handling of sensitive health data by a major dating app. It also shows how UK privacy claims can carry material financial exposure for consumer platforms.
- The settlement resolves a UK High Court case brought on behalf of thousands of Grindr users.
- Plaintiffs alleged the app shared HIV status and other sensitive data with advertising companies without consent.
- Grindr said the agreement includes no findings or admission of liability.
- In a Sept. 2 SEC filing, the company said the proceedings were first issued in April 2024 and concerned alleged violations of UK privacy laws through early 2020.
Grindr has agreed to settle a UK High Court privacy lawsuit for £26 million, according to a Sept. 7 report by BBC News.
The case was brought on behalf of thousands of UK users and alleged that the dating app shared highly sensitive personal information, including HIV status and other health-related data, with third-party advertising companies without consent.
In a Sept. 2 filing with the SEC, Grindr said the settlement includes no findings or admission of liability. The company said the High Court proceedings were first issued in April 2024 and related to alleged violations of UK privacy laws through early 2020.
Reuters reported in April 2024 that the lawsuit was filed at London's High Court on behalf of thousands of UK users. Reuters The National AIDS Trust said the disputed data included HIV status, last tested dates and PrEP-related information. National AIDS Trust
Grindr's filing does not say the company admitted any wrongdoing. It also sets out the timeline difference between the case period described in the filing and the broader 2018 to 2021 period described in Reuters' April 2024 report.
By the numbers
- £26 million - amount Grindr agreed to pay to settle the case.
- Thousands - the number of UK users named in the High Court claim, according to Reuters.
- April 2024 - when the High Court proceedings were first issued, according to Grindr's SEC filing.
Yes, but: The settlement resolves the claim, but Grindr denied liability and the filing does not include a court finding on the allegations.