Grindr, the US-owned dating app, has agreed to pay £26m to settle a lawsuit brought by thousands of UK users. The lawsuit alleged that the app shared highly sensitive personal information, including in some cases users' HIV status, with advertising companies.
The settlement concludes a two-year legal dispute that began in April 2024 when UK law firm Austen Hays filed a claim at the high court of England and Wales. The claim was made on behalf of Grindr users, alleging violations of UK privacy laws during a period up to early 2020.
The London law firm represented 12,000 individuals. If the £26m settlement is distributed equally, each person would receive an average compensation of £2,167.
Grindr stated in a US regulatory filing that the group action related to "historical data practices before 2020," when the company was owned by Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech. The California-based company noted that the settlement includes no findings or admission of liability, but acknowledged the distress expressed by some UK users regarding the pre-2020 period.
Grindr has committed to paying £13m by the end of 2026 and a further £13m by the end of March 2027 as part of the settlement.