Norway to fine dating app Grindr $11.7million over privacy breach
A woman checks the Grindr app on her mobile phone in Beirut, Lebanon. Gay dating app Grindr faces a fine of more than $10 million from Norwegian regulators for failing to get consent from users before sharing their personal information with advertising companies, in breach of stringent European Union privacy rules.
The Norwegian data privacy watchdog said that it notified Grindr LLC of its draft decision to issue a fine for 100 million Norwegian krone ($11.7 million), equal to 10% of the U.S. company’s global revenue.
The Data Protection Authority took action following a complaint by the Norwegian Consumer Council alleging personal data was shared unlawfully for marketing purposes. The council had detailed in a report last year how Grindr and other dating apps leaked personal information to advertising technology companies for targeted ads in ways the council said violated the EU’s tough GDPR privacy rules.
Grindr LLC, maker of a popular dating app, may face a 100 million-krone ($12 million) privacy fine from Norwegian regulators for not giving users enough control over their data.