// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Grindr to pay £26m to settle claims it allegedly shared users' HIV status
Grindr has agreed to pay £26m to settle a lawsuit over allegations it shared users' personal information - including their HIV status - with third parties.
The world's largest LGBTQ+ dating app was sued in the High Court in 2024 over claims it misused people's personal information.
The class action suit was later served in the US, with the law firm leading the case saying it had signed up more than 11,000 claimants.
According to a US regulatory filing, Grindr will make two £13m payments to settle the claims. The firm said the settlement includes no admission of liability.
Grindr stressed the claims relate to "historical data practices" before 2020 when it was owned by Chinese firm Kunlun.
The filing submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, external by Grindr said a settlement had been reached on 2 September.
"While Grindr disputes the allegations, it recognizes and acknowledges the distress and loss of trust expressed by some of its UK users regarding that pre-2020 period," the company said in its filing.
The firm has agreed to pay £13m to the counterparties by 31 December and a further £13m by 31 March 2027.
The claims brought more than two years ago by law firm Austen Hayes alleged Grindr had shared sensitive data with third parties for commercial purposes, breaching UK privacy laws.
It said this included information about the ethnicity and sexual orientation of its users.