Full Breakdown
Grindr Pays £26 Million to Settle UK Privacy Lawsuit Over HIV-Status Data Sharing
By Drooid · · How we work
Settlement Overview
In 2024, Grindr, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ dating app, reached a settlement with roughly 12,000 claimants in the United Kingdom. The High Court case alleged that the company shared users’ HIV status, testing dates and PrEP use with third-party advertising firms. Grindr will pay a total of £26 million, split into two instalments of £13 million each, due by 31 December 2024 and 31 March 2027. The settlement includes no admission of liability.
Background and Prior Data-Sharing Allegations
Grindr’s data-sharing practices first entered public scrutiny in 2018 after Norwegian nonprofit SINTEF found the app transmitted users’ HIV status, GPS location, phone identifiers and email addresses to analytics providers. The company defended the practice as standard industry testing and later removed HIV data from the feeds. Norway fined Grindr 100 million kroner in 2021, and the UK Information Commissioner’s Office issued a reprimand in 2022. The 2024 lawsuit asserted that the sharing continued until early 2020.
Data and Financial Details
- Number of claimants: about 12,000 (sources vary between “more than 11,000” and “about 12,000”).
- Settlement amount: £26 million total (£13 million per instalment).
- Average payout per claimant: roughly £2,167.
- SEC filing date: 2 September 2024.
- Revenue context: Grindr reported $138 million US revenue in Q2 2026, making the settlement a modest proportion of earnings.
Official Statements & Responses
Grindr’s filing to the U.S. SEC notes that its privacy programme was “overhauled” after 2020 to meet the “unique needs of its community,” and it reaffirms a commitment to being a “safe space” with transparent data practices.
Criticism & Opposition
Chaya Hanoomanjee, the lawyer leading the claim, said claimants had “experienced significant distress” because their sensitive information was shared without consent. The criticism highlights a breach of trust and broader privacy concerns for users of health-related apps.
Verbatim Quotes
- “All of this flows into an enormous profile,” — Jan Penfrat, digital policy expert
- “If they have access to my location data and know where I usually am at night, they can assume that this is my home address,” — Jan Penfrat
- “Grindr users may have assumed that the information submitted to the app was only available to other app users,” — Austen Hays
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact number of claimants: the BBC notes “more than 11,000,” while CBC and other outlets reference “about 12,000.” No source provides a definitive, independently verified figure.
What’s Next
Grindr is scheduled to make the first £13 million payment by 31 December and the second by 31 March 2027, as stipulated in the settlement agreement. Future disclosures may reveal how the payout is allocated among claimants and whether additional regulatory actions arise.
