Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2026
Norwegian Data Protection Authority fines Microsoft adtech subsidiary Xandr $9.6 million over Grindr user data
Fine or penalty
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (NDPA) fined Xandr, an adtech subsidiary of Microsoft, 92 million Norwegian kroner (around $9.6 million), alleging the company did not obtain "explicit consent" to use sensitive Grindr user data for advertising purposes and instead only assumed the dating app had already secured user approval. The NDPA said that when a person opened Grindr, their personal data was in many cases relayed through Xandr to potentially thousands of actors in the advertising ecosystem, and that the data infringements took place between July 2018 and April 2020; the fine, calculated from Xandr's total annual turnover, is the highest the Norwegian authority has issued to date. The case started in 2020 when Norway's consumer council filed a complaint against Xandr with the NDPA, and Xandr has three weeks to appeal the penalty.
Source excerpt
Xandr allegedly didn't obtain "explicit consent" to use sensitive user data of those on Grindr for advertising purposes, instead only assuming that the dating app already secured user approval
Xandr has three weeks to appeal the record penalty.
2023
Return-to-office labor dispute
A requirement that remote employees relocate to selected hub cities resulted in many departures and terminations. The Communications Workers of America alleged unfair labor practices and linked the policy to employee organizing efforts.
2021
Norwegian DPA fines Grindr over consent violations
Fine or penalty
Norway’s Data Protection Authority announced a NOK 65 million fine against Grindr for sharing users’ personal data with third parties without their consent.
Company response
Remediation — Grindr
changes it has since made to its consent management platform
Source excerpt
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (DPA) on Wednesday announced a fine of NOK 65 million (U.S. $7.2 million) against gay dating app Grindr for sharing personal data with third parties without users’ consent.
changes it has since made to its consent management platform
2021
Norwegian authority announces fine against Grindr over data sharing
Fine or penalty
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority said Grindr would be fined 100 million Norwegian kroner for sharing users’ private information with advertisers. Grindr said it looked forward to dialogue with the authority.
Company response
Clarification — Grindr
“We continually enhance our privacy practices in consideration of evolving privacy laws and regulations, and look forward to entering into a productive dialogue with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority,” Bill Shafton, Grindr’s VP of business and legal affairs, said in a statement to The Verge.
Source excerpt
Grindr, which is a location-based social networking and online dating app for LGBTQ people, is going to be fined by the Norwegian Data Protection Authority for illegally sharing private information about its users to advertisers.
Grindr will be fined a hundred million Norwegian kroner by the Norwegian Data Protection Authority.
Grindr will be fined 100 million Norwegian kroner, or about $11.7 million, by the Norwegian Data Protection Authority for illegally sharing private information about Grindr users to advertisers, according to .The New York Times
2020
Ethnicity filter controversy
The application was criticized for allowing users to filter profiles by ethnicity. Grindr removed the feature after complaints that it facilitated discriminatory behavior.
2018
Sharing of sensitive user data with advertisers
Grindr faced scrutiny over the sharing of user information, including HIV-related data, with advertising partners. The issue contributed to regulatory action in Norway and broader criticism of the platform’s privacy practices.
2014
Location trilateration vulnerability
Researchers reported that Grindr’s relative-distance information could be used to infer users’ approximate or near-exact locations. Further research showed that location inference could remain possible under certain conditions even when distance display was hidden.