Robert Scammell 27th January 2021 (Last Updated January 27th, 2021 13:37)
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Norway’s data regulator has issued a €10m fine to gay dating app Grindr for breaching data protection laws.
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority said the location-based dating app for gay, bi, trans and queer people failed to comply with consent rules outlined by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Following an investigation, it determined that Grindr did not get sufficient consent to share the personal data of its users to third parties for marketing purposes. This data included GPS location and user profile data.
The regulator went further and said a person simply being on Grindr “constitutes special category data that merits particular protection”.
The world s largest social networking and dating app for gay, bisexual and trans people is facing a hefty fine in Norway over an alleged breach of data privacy.
On Tuesday, Norway’s Data Protection Authority (NDPA) announced its intention to fine Grindr 100 million Norwegian crowns ($11.7m) for illegally disclosing user data to advertising firms.
The American company, which launched back in 2009, said that the allegations made by the Norwegian regulator hark back to 2018, when Grindr had different privacy policies and practices in place.
The large financial penalty corresponds to approximately 10% of Grindr’s estimated global annual revenue. Our preliminary conclusion is that Grindr has shared user data to a number of third parties without legal basis, said Bjørn Erik Thon, data protection commissioner of the NDPA.
26 January 2021, 11:09 am EST By Grindr gets sued by Norwegian watchdog ( (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) )
Grindr, a famous dating app, is getting sued by Norway for $11.7 million for failing to get consent from its users before sharing their personal information with advertising companies. This is in breach of stringent privacy rules set by European Union.
Grindr Gets Sued
The Norwegian data privacy watchdog stated on January 26 that it notified Grindr LLC of its decision to sue them and issue a fine for $11.7 million or 100 million Norwegian krone, that is equal to 10% of the U.S company s global revenue.
The Data Protection Authority took action following a complaint that was issued by the Norwegian Consumer Council, alleging that personal data was shared without permission for marketing purposes, according to The New York Times.
Grindr could be fined almost €10m for violating GDPR
Norway’s data protection authority claims that Grindr shared user data with a number of third parties without legal basis.
Dating platform Grindr is facing a €10m fine from the Norwegian data protection authority, Datatilsynet, for allegedly violating European privacy laws.
The data protection agency announced that it intends to issue an administrative fine of 100m Norwegian kroner, or almost €10m.
Last year, the Norwegian Consumer Council filed a complaint against Grindr, claiming unlawful sharing of personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. The complaint alleged that the data shared included GPS location, user profile data, and the fact that the user was on Grindr.