Grindr, a popular hookup app, has agreed to a significant payout in the United Kingdom after settling a lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed by London law firm Austen Hays in 2024, alleged that Grindr had shared sensitive user information, including HIV status, with advertisers. The California-based company will pay £26 million (approximately $48.6 million Cdn) to around 12,000 individuals who joined the claim.
The claim asserted that Grindr violated U.K. privacy laws before April 2020 by sharing user data with other companies for financial gain. This data included details such as users’ HIV status, testing dates, results, and use of HIV prevention medication. The lawsuit claimed that this information was shared with third-party companies like Localytics and Apptimize for targeted advertising purposes, and possibly sold to additional parties.
Austen Hays emphasized that Grindr users may not have anticipated their information being shared beyond the app’s user base. The law firm highlighted Grindr’s importance in the 2SLGBTQ+ community for facilitating connections and emphasized the need for accountability in handling user data.
Users of the free version of Grindr between 2016 and 2020 are eligible for compensation of £2,167 or $4,050 Cdn each. Grindr plans to pay out the settlement in two installments, with the first half expected to be disbursed by the end of this year and the remainder by March 31, 2027, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Despite contesting the allegations, Grindr acknowledged the concerns expressed by some U.K. users regarding the period before 2020. The company emphasized that the settlement does not imply any admission of liability. Grindr’s legal troubles in the U.K. followed a 100 million Norwegian kroner fine imposed by Norway’s government in 2021 for similar data sharing practices. Grindr’s appeal against Norway’s decision was unsuccessful in 2024.
Grindr, which promotes itself as the largest social networking app for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals worldwide, was previously owned by Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., a Chinese gaming company. The U.S. government mandated Kunlun to divest from Grindr due to data privacy concerns, leading to its acquisition by San Vicente Acquisition LLC for $620 million US in 2020. Despite the ownership changes, Grindr continues to boast over 15 million monthly active users globally since its launch in 2009, with reported revenue of $138 million US ($190 million CAD) in the second quarter of 2026.