A Two-Year Legal Battle Ends in Settlement
Dating app Grindr has agreed to pay a £26 million ($35.1 million) settlement to end a UK High Court claim brought on behalf of roughly 12,000 users, who alleged the app shared their sensitive personal data — including HIV status — with advertising companies.
The claim, filed by law firm Austen Hays in April 2024, covered alleged data-sharing practices from before 2020, when Grindr was still owned by Chinese gaming company Kunlun.
What Was Allegedly Shared
According to the claim, data shared with third-party advertisers included:
- HIV status
- Most recent HIV testing date and result
- Whether a user was using PrEP (an HIV prevention regimen)
This information is voluntarily provided by users on Grindr and can optionally be displayed on a public profile — but claimants alleged it was shared with advertisers regardless of a user's visibility settings, and without adequate consent under UK data protection law.
Settlement Terms
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Total settlement | £26 million |
| Claimants represented | ~12,000 |
| Average payout per claimant | ~£2,167 (if distributed equally) |
| First payment | £13 million by end of 2026 |
| Second payment | £13 million by end of March 2027 |
| Admission of liability | None |
Grindr disputes the allegations but issued a statement acknowledging the impact on affected users:
"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."
How This Came to Light
The settlement was disclosed to US investors via a Form 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 4, 2026, signed by chief financial officer John North, with an earliest-event date of September 2, 2026. Grindr has been publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2022.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Pre-2020 | Alleged data-sharing practices occurred, under Kunlun ownership |
| 2020 | Grindr sold to new owners; Kunlun ownership ends |
| 2022 | Grindr lists on the NYSE; separately, the UK ICO opens an investigation covering post-2020 processing |
| April 2024 | Austen Hays files High Court claim on behalf of ~12,000 users |
| September 2, 2026 | Settlement reached (earliest-event date per SEC filing) |
| September 4, 2026 | Settlement disclosed via SEC Form 8-K |
| By end of 2026 | First £13 million installment due |
| By end of March 2027 | Second £13 million installment due |
Why This Matters
HIV status is among the most sensitive categories of personal data under both UK GDPR and general data protection principles — its exposure carries risks well beyond typical PII leaks, including discrimination, stigma, and safety concerns for affected individuals. This settlement is a reminder that special category health data shared with ad-tech partners, even indirectly through SDK integrations or ad-targeting pipelines, creates outsized legal exposure regardless of a company's later remediation.
Grindr says it has since overhauled its privacy program. This case, together with the ICO's earlier 2022 investigation into the company's post-2020 practices, illustrates how legacy data-sharing decisions can continue to generate liability years after a platform's ownership and privacy posture have changed.
References
- PinkNews — Grindr to pay out £26million settlement in lawsuit over sharing HIV status info
- ppc.land — Grindr pays £26m to settle UK claim over alleged HIV data sharing