Grindr, the hookup app mostly used by men looking for other men, has an astonishingly bad privacy record given the sensitive nature of its data. Fresh from being sued by users claiming it shared their HIV status, it now faces a $6m fine from the Norwegian government for sharing user information with commercial partners.
The Norwegian Consumer Council initiated the complaint after discovering that Grindr, a popular dating app, had been collecting and sharing sensitive user information with numerous commercial entities. These third-party companies retained the right to further disseminate the data to potentially thousands of other firms, aiming to tailor advertisements to individual users. This practice was deemed a significant violation of user privacy and data protection laws.
Forbrukerrådet's director, Inger Lise Blyverket, hailed the court's decision as a crucial victory in safeguarding online consumer security. She emphasized that the ruling sends a strong message to companies engaged in commercial surveillance that the indiscriminate collection and distribution of personal data will not be tolerated. Blyverket further noted the broader implications of such data misuse, highlighting its potential to manipulate political outcomes and exploit vulnerable individuals.
Facebook gets so much bad news for its privacy failures, but every time I read something about Grindr it seems far worse—and always respecting what is, all told, a vulnerable demographic. A machine of pure extractive capitalism under, well, yes, I suppose you might call it a mask.
