Grindr, a popular dating app for the LGBTQ+ community, has agreed to pay £26 million to settle a lawsuit brought by thousands of UK users who claimed the app shared sensitive personal data—including, in some cases, HIV status—with advertising companies. The settlement ends a two-year legal battle that began when the UK law firm Austen Hays filed a claim in the High Court of England and Wales in April 2024. The firm represented around 12,000 users, who would receive an average of £2,167 each if the funds are distributed equally. The legal action focused on Grindr’s data practices up to early 2020, a period when the app was owned by the Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech. Grindr was launched in 2009 as a platform for gay men to connect and coordinate meetups. Today, it claims to be the world’s largest dating app for gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals, with a global user base in the millions. In a recent regulatory filing, Grindr stated that the settlement relates to its “historical data practices before 2020.” The company emphasized that the agreement does not admit fault or liability but acknowledges the concerns and distress expressed by some UK users about that earlier period. The company underwent a significant change in ownership six years ago, following concerns raised by a U.S. government national security panel about its Chinese ownership. Grindr was later sold to new owners and went public on the New York Stock Exchange two years after that. Since 2020, Grindr claims it has overhauled its privacy policies, focusing on the specific needs of its user community. It asserts that the app is now a “safe space” for users and is committed to transparency, user control, and responsible data handling. As part of the settlement, Grindr will pay £13 million by the end of this year and an additional £13 million by March 2027. The parent company of Austen Hays, Gateley, has been contacted for further comment but has not yet responded.