UK class action demands greater transparency from Grindr over use of AI as potential claimants hit 15,000

Our UK class action against Grindr with a potential 15,000 claimants has demanded the app provide greater transparency over its plans to use and process private data in developing its AI ‘wingman’ functionality.

“Grindr has historically failed to safeguard its users’ privacy,” says Chaya Hanoomanjee, Managing Director of Austen Hays, which announced the class action against Grindr earlier this year. “Now it plans to place user data at greater risk by developing AI chatbots that will potentially be trained on everything from a user’s preferences to their private conversations.

“So far, Grindr has failed to recognise its past mistakes, despite several regulatory and court findings. Our clients have suffered enough distress as a result of Grindr’s past failings and deserve to be acknowledged in the first instance.

“We also call on Grindr to be more transparent in how it proposes to develop new technologies in compliance with GDPR and other data protection laws.”

Since the claim was announced in April 2024, the potential number of claimants has risen from 650 to more than 15,000. According to the claim, Grindr shared users’ personal and sensitive data – including highly sensitive information such as HIV status - without user consent.

Just last week, a ruling by the Court of Justice for the European Union against another social media platform found that data relating to someone’s sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, or health status are classed as sensitive, and therefore carry strict requirements for processing under EU data protection law.

Potential claimants can check their eligibility and join the claim here.