Grindr Loses Bid to Topple Norwegian Data Watchdog’s Record Fine

LGBTQ dating company Grindr Inc. lost a bid to overturn a record 65 million krone ($6.2 million) fine in Norway for unlawfully disclosing user data to advertisers without their consent.

(Bloomberg) — LGBTQ dating company Grindr Inc. lost a bid to overturn a record 65 million krone ($6.2 million) fine in Norway for unlawfully disclosing user data to advertisers without their consent.

The Norwegian Data Protection Authority on Friday said its original fine was upheld on appeal. 

The case stems from a 2020 complaint by the nation’s consumer council after finding that Grindr disclosed user information such as location data, IP addresses and people’s age and gender for marketing purposes. The disputed behavior happened between July 2018 and April 2020, when Grindr changed its consent policy, the watchdog said. 

“We are very satisfied” the appeals board “agrees with our conclusions and has upheld our decision,” Line Coll, the Norwegian watchdog’s director said in the statement. The case was a priority for the watchdog because it concerns consumers’ safety, she added. 

Grindr Gets $7 Million Fine for Data Sharing in Norway

Grindr didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

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