Grindr has agreed to pay £26m to settle a lawsuit brought by thousands of UK users who alleged the dating app shared sensitive personal information, including HIV status, with advertising companies. The settlement, announced in a US regulatory filing, resolves a two-year legal battle and provides compensation to 12,000 claimants.
Legal action and settlement details
The UK law firm Austen Hays filed the claim at the High Court of England and Wales in April 2024 on behalf of Grindr users, alleging violations of UK privacy laws during a period up to early 2020. The London-based firm represented 12,000 people, who will receive an average of £2,167 each if the £26m is distributed equally.
Grindr, which was founded in 2009 to facilitate hookups for gay men, now describes itself as the world's largest dating app for gay, bi, trans and queer people, with millions of users globally. The company said in its filing that it had resolved the UK group action related to what it called "historical data practices before 2020," when Grindr was owned by the Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech.
Company response and payment schedule
The California-based company stated: "The settlement includes 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."
Under the settlement terms, Grindr will pay £13m by the end of this year and a further £13m by the end of March 2027. The company said it had overhauled its privacy programme since 2020, "with a keen focus on the unique needs of its community," and stressed that "Grindr is and remains a safe space for users, committed to transparency, user control and responsible data practices."
Background and ownership changes
Six years ago, Grindr was sold to new owners and appointed new management after a US government national security panel raised concerns about its Chinese ownership. Two years later, the company floated on the New York Stock Exchange.
Austen Hays's parent company Gateley has been contacted for comment. The settlement brings to an end the legal proceedings initiated in 2024, with compensation payments scheduled over the next two and a half years.
