UK Grindr users are joining a legal action following claims that the dating and hookup app shared their personal data with third parties. So far over 650 people have joined a class action lawsuit against the world’s largest online dating and social networking platform for the LGBTQ+ community.
Lawyers in this case claim Grindr broke UK data protection laws when it shared the personal information of its users without consent. The case also alleges that the information in question was sold to numerous advertisers for profit.
Grindr claims that the case is based on “a mischaracterisation of practices from more than four years ago” and says that it will respond vigorously to the claim.
Thousands of Grindr users are affected
According to Austen Hays, the law firm making the claim against Grindr, thousands of UK users had their data breached and could be due substantial damages from the app.
The case alleges that Grindr shared sensitive information with two advertising companies, including data relating to ethnicity, sexual orientation, and HIV status. Grindr has previously admitted to sharing data with third-party companies to evaluate the way people used the app but it denies selling the data to advertisers.
Lawyers are seeking damages for any distress or other consequences suffered by users as a result of the sharing and loss of control over their data. Depending on how the breach affected them, users could potentially be entitled to thousands of pounds in compensation.
Has Grindr breached UK data protection laws?
Quite possibly. In the UK there are strict rules about how personal data can be ‘processed’. In other words, how it can be collected, used, stored, and shared. Part of these rules state that people must know how their data is being used.
The lawsuit against Grindr claims that users of the app may have assumed that the information they provided would only be made available to other subscribers. By sharing it with advertisers, Grindr violated its user’s privacy rights and broke UK data protection laws.
According to Chaya Hanoomanjee, an Austen Hays lawyer leading the claim, affected users have “experienced significant distress over their highly sensitive and private information being shared without their consent.” She believes that “Grindr owes it to the LGBTQ+ community it serves to compensate those whose data has been compromised”.
Check if you have a Grindr data breach claim
If you used the free version of the Grindr app or website between Dec 2016 and April 2020, you could be affected by this data breach.
Our simple eligibility checker will let you know. Answer a few straightforward questions, and you’ll know if you could qualify for data breach compensation.
If you pass the eligibility check, register your interest and we’ll keep you updated with developments in this case.
