US lawsuit against popular gay dating app filed by British company
Headline: Grindr Faces Legal Strife in U.S. Over Alleged Data Misuse
Informal, Approachable, and Straightforward Style:
Hey there! Time for a juicy bit of tech news. Ever heard of Grindr, the popular LGBTQ+ dating app? Well, things have taken a turn for the dramatic in the United States. A leading UK law firm, Gateley Group's Austen Hays, has filed two lawsuits against Grindr, asserting that the app mishandled sensitive data of thousands of users.
What's the Rub?
The lawsuits, one each in California and Delaware, accuse Grindr of sharing user data with third parties without consent. This data, which includes ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual activity, and, in many instances, HIV status and last tested date, was allegedly handed over to a variety of analytics and advertising companies. The company is accused of breaching data protection laws and operating without sufficient transparency.
Oh, the Drama!
Chaya Hanoomanjee, managing director of Austen Hays and the solicitor leading the claim, stated, "We've been bombarded with people ready to seek justice for the emotional turmoil caused by their private data being shared without their consent. Now that we've served our claims in the U.S., we'll continue to pursue this significant case and ensure that users are safe while using Grindr without fear of sensitive data leaks."
The Fine Print
The data-sharing practices in question occurred primarily before 2018 and between 2018 and 2020, although it's possible that the breaches stretch beyond these periods. It's alleged that Grindr processed and disseminated personal data without a lawful basis, potentially allowing numerous third-party organizations to access this info sans user's knowledge or permission.
Digging Deeper
Concerns about Grindr's data practices surfaced publicly in early 2018, when Norwegian non-profit research body SINTEF revealed that the app had shared users' HIV status and "last tested date" with analytics and advertising companies. Following a flurry of regulatory complaints, Grindr was fined NOK 65 million (GBP 5 million) in Norway and issued a formal reprimand in the UK for lack of transparency and poor data handling.
Worth Noting
While HIV-specific data litigation doesn't seem active in U.S. courts as of mid-April 2025, the Austen Hays case could potentially develop this angle as details emerge. Keep an eye on the California Central District Court (Case 2:25-cv-____) and Delaware filings for real-time updates.
[1] https://www.law360.com/articles/1506348[2] https://www.bna.com/grindr-arbitration-n87018478157/[3] https://www.bna.com/ten-circuit-grindr-n87018478299/[4] https://www.law360.com/articles/1496542
- The ongoing lawsuits against Grindr, filed by Austen Hays, a UK law firm, suggest that the LGBTQ+ dating app may have shared user data with third parties, including analytics and advertising companies, without consent.
- Chaya Hanoomanjee, the managing director of Austen Hays and the solicitor leading the claim, stated that the firm has been inundated with individuals seeking justice over their sensitive data being shared without consent.
- The technology industry, particularly the finance and business sectors, will be closely watching the ongoing lawsuits against Grindr as they could set a crucial precedent for data protection and privacy in the app industry, especially for apps focused on the LGBTQ+ community.
- The data-sharing practices reported in the lawsuits are said to have occurred primarily before 2018 and between 2018 and 2020, but there may be breaches that extend beyond these periods. The data shared may include ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual activity, HIV status, and last tested date.
- The allegations against Grindr have raised concerns about enabling and encouraging breaches of data protection laws, potentially exposing sensitive user data to numerous third-party organizations without users' knowledge or explicit permission.
