Dating app Grindr has been taken to court for violating users’ data privacy. Its users came forward claiming the app had been mishandling their data, specifically accusing Grindr of sharing sensitive details like HIV status with third-party advertisers.
A London law firm, Austen Hays, filed the lawsuit on Monday. The lawsuit accuses the app of sharing the data without user consent. This data reportedly included sensitive information such as ethnicity, sexual orientation, and HIV test dates. This breach of privacy is said to be distressing to users and raises safety concerns.
“Grindr owes it to the LGBTQ+ community it serves to compensate those whose data has been compromised and have suffered distress as a result and to ensure all its users are safe while using the app, wherever they are, without fear that their data might be shared with third parties,” Chaya Hanoomanjee, a lawyer at Austen Hays, said.
Historically, the app has a notoriety for disrespecting user’s data privacy. Wall Street Journal reports in 2022 indicate Grindr users’ location data was available for purchase on the open market for at least three years. Going further back to 2018, the homosexual hookup site was found to be sharing users’ HIV status with third-party analytics companies, Apptimize and Localytics. Grindr allowed access to users’ profiles, which could include HIV status and last test date.
In another incident, a Norwegian research institute, SINTEF, exposed yet another privacy breach. Their report revealed that users’ HIV status was being transmitted alongside highly sensitive data. This included GPS location, phone ID, and email address. BuzzFeed News then independently confirmed these findings with cybersecurity experts. This led to a fine of $6 million in Norway for breaking Europe’s privacy laws in 2021.
The LGBTQ+ dating service is yet to comment on the latest allegations.
