Grindr, a popular hookup app, has agreed to a significant settlement in a U.K. lawsuit over allegations of sharing sensitive user information, including HIV status, with advertisers. The California-based company will pay around $48.6 million Cdn to approximately 12,000 individuals who joined the claim filed by London law firm Austen Hays in 2024.
The lawsuit accuses Grindr of breaching U.K. privacy laws by sharing user data with external companies before April 2020 in exchange for payment or commercial benefits. This data included details such as users’ HIV status, recent testing dates, results, and PrEP usage, and was reportedly shared with third parties like Localytics and Apptimize for targeted advertising purposes.
Austen Hays highlighted the importance of Grindr in the 2SLGBTQ+ community for facilitating connections among gay, bisexual, trans, and queer individuals. The law firm emphasized the need for accountability and restoring trust in how user data is handled.
Eligible claimants who used the app’s free version between 2016 and 2020 could receive £2,167 or $4,050 Cdn each. Grindr is set to pay out the settlement in two installments, with the first half expected by the end of this year and the remainder by March 31, 2027.
Despite disputing the allegations, Grindr acknowledged the distress and loss of trust expressed by some U.K. users regarding the pre-2020 period. Norway had previously fined Grindr for illegally sharing user data, a decision that Grindr unsuccessfully challenged in 2024.
Grindr, previously owned by Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., was sold to private investors in 2020 due to concerns raised by the U.S. government about data privacy issues. The app, launched in 2009, boasts over 15 million monthly active users globally and reported revenue of $138 million US in the second quarter of 2026.