Washington: 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.
According to The Verge, Grindr will be fined a hundred million Norwegian kroner by the Norwegian Data Protection Authority. Last January, the Norwegian Consumer Council filed three complaints against Grindr for sharing personal information, including users’ locations and information about the device they were using with advertisers.
Associating that information with an individual could potentially indicate that person’s sexual orientation without their consent, and now, the Norwegian Data Protection Authority is taking action against Grindr for the practice.
Bill Shafton, Grindr’s VP of business and legal affairs, said in a statement to The Verge, “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.”
Grindr has until February 15 to comment on the Norwegian Data Protection Authority’s ruling.
The app isn’t particularly well-known for taking great care of its users’ security. As per The Verge, Grindr was caught exposing users’ HIV statuses to two other companies in April 2018, which the company has stopped doing now.