Grindr user data was for sale from ad networks for years

Grindr user data was for sale from ad networks for years,

The data of millions of users of Grindr, a popular dating app within the LGBTIQ+ community, has been on sale for years. The data was collected through advertising networks, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The information, including location data, was for sale at least since 2017. “Historical” data may also still be available, anonymous sources tell the American newspaper.

Grindr says in a response that the app changed its policy two years ago, so that location data is no longer passed on to ad networks.

Although no personal data has been leaked, according to the newspaper, location data can also cause problems. For example, last year an American Catholic clergyman was known to be a Grindr user. This was done on the basis of an analysis of comparable user data.

In other cases, too, the identity of people could be established and of the persons with whom they agreed. For example, the location data could be used to determine where Grindr users lived and worked. In addition, if phones are close together for a longer period of time, it can be assumed that the owners had a date.

The privacy issues are particularly sensitive to Grindr because homosexuality and bisexuality is banned in many countries. Even in countries where homosexuality is not prohibited, the consequences can be great. People who are not openly gay can be blackmailed with the information.

The Norwegian privacy watchdog last year fined Grindr 65 million Norwegian kroner (more than 6.3 million euros) for illegally providing data to advertising agencies.

Grindr user data was for sale from ad networks for years

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