Record GDPR Fine To Grindr In Digital Marketing Case

• Published date: 12 December 2023
• Subject Matter: Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment, Privacy, Data Protection, Advertising, Marketing & Branding
• Law Firm: Advokatfirmaet Hjort DA
• Author: Claude A. Lenth and Monica Syrdal

The Norwegian Privacy Appeals Board has upheld the Norwegian Data Protection Authority's record fine of NOK 65 million (Euro 6.2 million) for the failure to obtain valid consent to share personal data to AdTech companies for marketing purposes. This is the highest GDPR violation fine imposed thus far in Norway. The decision is the result of a complaint from the Norwegian Consumer Council, which has been assisted by Hjort's GDPR team.

The Privacy Appeals Board found that Grindr shared information about Grindr users with advertising companies for marketing purposes without obtaining valid consent from those users. Users were neither sufficiently informed nor had they given voluntary consent to this sharing of information, partly because information about the disclosure of the users' information to Grindr's advertising partners, was only included in Grindr's privacy policy. As use of the Grindr app gives indirect information about a person's sexual preferences, the case also involved illegal use of one of the special categories of data that are subject to additional protection under the GDPR. As a result, the Privacy Appeals Board found that thousands of Norwegian Grindr users have illegally had their sensitive, personal data handed over to an unknown number of third parties that in turn may have shared...