Grindr has agreed to pay a £26 million settlement after thousands of users alleged that the app shared sensitive personal data, including their HIV status, with advertising companies. The decision puts an end to a two-year legal battle in the UK, brought by Austen Hays to the High Court of England and Wales in April 2024.

The law firm was representing 12,000 Grindr users in the case, who will receive £2,167 in compensation each if the settlement is distributed equally. The app is expected to pay £13 million by the end of 2026, and the remainder by the end of March 2027.

Based in California, Grindr confirmed in a US regulatory filing that it had resolved the group action related to what it called “historical data practices before 2020”, when it was owned and controlled by the Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech. 

“The settlement includes no findings or admission of liability. While Grindr disputes the allegations, it recognises and acknowledges the distress and loss of trust expressed by some of its UK users regarding that pre-2020 period,” the company continued.

In 2020, Grindr was sold to the investment group San Vincente Acquisition and appointed new management, after a US government national security panel raised concerns that users’ personal data could be accessed by Chinese authorities. Since then, the company says it has overhauled its privacy programme “with a keen focus on the unique needs of its community”.

It added that “Grindr is and remains a safe space for users, committed to transparency, user control and responsible data practices”.

Meanwhile, Austen Hays’ parent firm Gateley thanked its clients for trusting them with this sensitive case.

Founded in 2009 to make it easier for gay men to meet and hook up, Grindr is now one of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ dating platforms, boasting nearly 15 million users. According to The Guardian, the company is currently worth £1.96 billion.