(Grindr has agreed to pay out to around 12,000 affected users in the UK. Credit: Ivan Radic) 

In a US regulatory filing this week, Grindr said it had resolved the UK group action which, it said, was based on “historical data practices before 2020”. Founded in 2009, a 60% stake of the company was sold to Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech in 2016. It then upped its stake to 98.59% for $152m in 2018.

Since 2020, the company has been owned by investment group San Vicente Acquisition. As part of the UK settlement, Grindr said it will pay £13m to affected users by the end of this year, with another £13m by the end of March 2027.

The platform said it has since overhauled its privacy programme, with a ‘keen focus on the unique needs of its community’. A spokesperson said: “Grindr is and remains a safe space for users, committed to transparency, user control, and responsible data practices.”

In the filing, Grindr said the settlement does not equate to any admission of liability. The company also disputes the allegations but said it ‘recognizes and acknowledges the distress and loss of trust expressed by some of its UK users regarding that pre-2020 period’.

Austen Hays’ parent company, Gateley, said: “While Grindr disputes the allegations, it recognises and acknowledges the distress and loss of trust expressed by some of its UK users regarding that pre-2020 period. We thank our clients for trusting us with this sensitive case.”

It’s remarkable to see that a conclusion to this has come so quickly, considering how long they can usually take. This kind of data has a severe danger of causing distress and harm to people’s lives if used out of context and where it was originally intended for, and this should serve as a realisation to all about the importance of that.