Grindr faces lawsuit over sharing of HIV status with third parties
Grindr, the popular gay dating app, is facing a class action lawsuit from hundreds of users over the alleged misuse of their private information, including their HIV status and latest tested date.
Privacy concerns raised
The lawsuit, filed in the High Court in London, alleges that Grindr violated UK data protection laws by sharing sensitive data with third-party companies for commercial purposes without users’ consent. The law firm representing the plaintiffs, Austen Hays, claims that Grindr “unlawfully processed and shared users’ data with third parties, including advertising companies Localytics and Apptimize.”
Grindr’s response
Grindr has admitted to sharing HIV status with Apptimize and Localytics, but has emphasized that this was not done for advertising purposes. The company claims that it consulted with several international health organizations before deciding in 2016 to allow users to publish their HIV status and last tested date on their public profiles.
Grindr also stated that it has never sold or will ever sell personal user information, including HIV status or last test date, to third parties or advertisers.
Steps taken to address concerns
In response to concerns raised by users, Grindr has taken steps to address privacy concerns. The company has stopped sharing HIV status with third parties and has vowed to comply with all applicable data privacy regulations.
Impact on users
The lawsuit has raised concerns among Grindr users about the privacy of their sensitive information. The potential damages that plaintiffs could receive if the case is successful could also have a significant financial impact on the company.
Importance of data privacy
The case highlights the importance of data privacy and the need for companies to be transparent about how they collect and use their users’ data. Users should be informed about what data is being collected and how it will be used, and they should have the right to consent to the use of their data.
Deepika 
Mehek