Market Data 
- A class action claim against Grindr accuses the app of sharing users’ HIV status with third parties.
- Austen Hays, a law firm in the UK, alleges these breaches took place over at least two years.
- The firm says that “thousands” of UK users had their private information shared with third parties.
A class action claim filed against LGBTQ+ dating and hookup app Grindr alleges that “potentially thousands” of UK app users had their private information, including HIV statuses, shared with third parties.
The claim, lodged on Monday by UK-based law firm Austen Hays, accuses Grindr of breaching UK data-protection laws by sharing sensitive information with third parties without users’ consent.
The information disclosed included users’ HIV statuses, as well as data on their ethnicities, sex lives, and sexual orientations, according to a press statement provided to Business Insider.
Austen Hays alleges that the data breaches occurred before April 2018 and between May 2018 and April 2020, “although they may extend to further periods,” it said.
It added that the data was shared with advertising companies Localytics and Apptimize, which the law firm said “would allow a potentially unlimited number of third parties to target and/or customize advertisements to its users.”
According to Austen Hayes, Grindr received payment from the third and fourth parties it shared personal data with, and it alleges that companies retained some of this data after the advertisements had been served.
With more of us finding love and connections online, the risk of extremely personal data being shared and potentially monetized is growing.
Over 670 claimants have already signed up to the class action, according to Austen Hays, which claims it is in discussions with “thousands” of others who are interested in joining.
Austen Hays said that those affected could receive thousands of pounds in damages if the case succeeds, “given the severity of the breach.”
Breaches of data privacy regulations can lead to costly fines for companies that are found to violate them, and can also cause embarrassment for users.
With an app like Grindr, known for facilitating LGBTQ+ hookups for its millions of users worldwide, a breach could involve the sharing of highly sensitive information.
“Our clients have experienced significant distress over their highly sensitive and private information being shared without their consent, and many have suffered feelings of fear, embarrassment and anxiety as a result,” said Chaya Hanoomanjee, Austen Hays’ managing director.
Grindr has been punished for data breaches in the past.
In December 2021, it was fined 65 million Norwegian kroner, roughly $6 million, after the Norwegian Data Protection Authority found that it had disclosed personal data to third parties for advertising without a legal basis.
In 2022, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office also reprimanded the company after finding that it had violated the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation.
Grindr did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
