Austen Hays’ claim against Grindr is not the first time the dating app has faced scrutiny of, and consequences for, its failure to protect the personal and sensitive data of its users. Here, we provide a summary of the key dates that led to this point.
7 Feb 2018 – An experiment on Grindr by SINTEF, a Norwegian non-profit independent research organisation, reveals that Grindr deployed data tracking technologies and shared user data with third parties, including Apptimize and Localytics. Data shared included highly sensitive personal details, such as users’ HIV status and Last Tested Date.
2 April 2018 – ‘Plus Granskar’ airs on Swedish TV channel SVT, revealing the results of the SINTEF experiment and the extent of Grindr’s data-sharing activities.
3 April 2018 – Grindr announces that it has stopped sharing HIV-related data with third parties, but not with data hosts.
14 Jan 2020 – mneumonic, a cybersecurity service provider, publishes a report finding that Grindr shared detailed user data, such as IP addresses, GPS location, age, and gender with a significant number of third parties.
13 Dec 2021 – The Norwegian Data Protection Authority publishes its final decision and enforces a record fine of 65,000,000 Norwegian Krone (NOK) against Grindr.
26 July 2022 – The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has similar concerns with how Grindr was processing its users’ data. The ICO issues Grindr with a Reprimand regarding processing operations that infringed UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
27 Sept 2023 – Grindr’s appeal to the Norwegian Privacy Appeals Board fails.
Oct 2023 – Grindr sues the Norwegian state, challenging the validity of the Norwegian Privacy Board’s decision.
28 March 2024 – Austen Hays issued a claim against Grindr in England and Wales stating that Grindr is in breach of UK data protection laws for sharing sensitive data, including ethnicity and HIV status, to third parties for commercial purposes without the users’ consent.
Further information can be found in the press release here.
16 May 2024 – A High Court judge confirmed the importance of protecting the identity of individuals bringing a claim against Grindr, by granting anonymity to all claimants in the England and Wales proceedings.
Further information can be found in the press release here.
1 Jul 2024 – Grindr loses its challenge against the Norwegian State in the Oslo District Court. The decision to fine Grindr by the Norwegian Data Protection Authority and the Privacy Appeals Board is upheld.