- Grindr will pay £26 million to settle a class action lawsuit from about 12,000 British users who allege that the app shared sensitive data, including HIV serostatus, with advertising companies.
- The agreement comes after two years of litigation in the High Court of England and Wales, in a case brought by the law firm Austen Hays in April 2024.
- Each affected person will receive an average compensation of £2,167, and Grindr insists that the agreement does not constitute an admission of liability.
Grindr will pay £26 million to settle a lawsuit filed by thousands of users in the UK, who allege that the app shared highly sensitive private information with advertising companies, in some cases including serostatus. The case dates back to 2024, when the law firm Austen Hays brought the lawsuit before the High Court of England and Wales.
What is Grindr accused of sharing?
Grindr is accused of sharing highly sensitive personal data of its users with advertising companies, including HIV serostatus. The law firm Austen Hays —part of the Gateley group— claims that privacy protection rules in the UK were violated from early 2020 onwards.
The class action lawsuit was filed in April 2024 before the High Court of England and Wales on behalf of about 12,000 people. After two years of litigation, both parties have reached an agreement that ends the proceedings.
How the £26 million compensation will be distributed
Grindr will pay the £26 million in two installments: £13 million before the end of 2026 and the remaining £13 million before the end of March 2027. If the amount is distributed equally among the approximately 12,000 represented individuals, the average compensation would be £2,167 per person.
Grindr has nearly 15 million users and is the largest dating app for queer men in the world, which gives an idea of the potential magnitude of the case if other markets follow the same legal path.
Grindr’s response
The company has avoided acknowledging liability in the agreement. In a statement reported by British media, Grindr stated: “The agreement does not include findings or admission of liability. While Grindr denies the allegations, it acknowledges the distress and loss of trust expressed by some of its UK users regarding that period prior to 2020”.
From the law firm Austen Hays / Gateley, they thanked their clients for “trusting them with this very sensitive case”. Grindr also defends that, since 2020, it has strengthened and updated its privacy policies, paying special attention to the particularities of its user community, and claims that the platform remains a safe space committed to transparency and data control.
It’s not the first time: Grindr’s history with user data
The investigated facts date back to the time when Grindr was under the control of the Chinese video game company Beijing Kunlun Tech. In 2020, Grindr was acquired by the investment group San Vicente Acquisition for $608 million, after US authorities expressed concern about the potential access of the Chinese government to the personal data of its users.
This is not the only episode related to data management at Grindr. In 2018, the company announced that it would stop sharing information about the serostatus of its users with third parties, after an investigation revealed that this data had been transmitted to two external companies. In 2021, the Norwegian data protection authority had already fined Grindr 65 million Norwegian kroner (about £4.8 million) for similar incidents, a penalty that a Norwegian appeals court confirmed in October 2025.
Frequently asked questions about the Grindr case and HIV
How much will Grindr pay for the UK lawsuit? Grindr will pay £26 million, divided into two installments of £13 million: one before the end of 2026 and another before the end of March 2027.
How many users are affected by the agreement? The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of about 12,000 Grindr users in the UK.
What data is alleged to have been shared by Grindr? It is alleged that Grindr shared sensitive private information with advertising companies, including in some cases the HIV serostatus of its users, from before 2020.
How much will each affected person receive? If the £26 million is distributed equally, each person would receive an average compensation of £2,167.
Has Grindr admitted liability in the case? No. Grindr states that the agreement does not include findings or admission of liability, although it acknowledges the distress and loss of trust from some of its UK users.
