Grindr, a LGBT dating app is facing fines of £8.5m for allegedly selling its users data to advertisers. Norway Data Protection Authority therefore, plans to fine the company about 10% of its global revenue. The Norwegian Consumer Council had made about 3 complaints against Grindr for breaching privacy policies and sharing user data with its advertisers. Post this data breach was revealed in last January. The data that is shared includes data on usersâ gender, age, location and sexuality.
The company has been given time till Feb 15th to respond to the allegation. The company has claimed that it had obtained âvalid legal consent from allâ of its European users on multiple occasions and was convinced of its âapproach to user privacy is first in classâ in comparison to other social apps.
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.
OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's Data Protection Authority said on Tuesday it plans to fine dating app Grindr 100 million Norwegian crowns ($11.7 million) for what the regulator said was illegal disclosure of user data to advertising firms.
Grindr needs to respond to claims, after which the Data Protection Authority will make its final decision
Reuters
January 26, 2021
Norway’s Data Protection Authority said on Tuesday it plans to fine dating app Grindr 100 million Norwegian crowns ($11.7 million) for what the regulator said was illegal disclosure of user data to advertising firms.
US-based Grindr, which describes itself as the world’s largest social networking app for gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment.
“Our preliminary conclusion is that the breaches are very severe,” the Norwegian agency said in a statement announcing what it said was a record fine corresponding to around 10% of Grindr’s estimated global annual revenue.