GoKawiilNorway fines Microsoft's Xandr $9.6 million over Grindr ad-data handling
Norway's Data Protection Authority fined Xandr, an adtech unit now owned by Microsoft, 92 million kroner (about $9.6 million) for allegedly using sensitive Grindr user data for advertising without obtaining explicit consent. The agency said Xandr assumed Grindr had already secured user approval, and the case stems from a 2020 complaint by Norway's consumer council covering data practices between July 2018 and April 2020. It is the largest fine the NDPA has ever issued.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The NDPA says the fine reflects how personal data from a single app open could be broadcast to thousands of ad-tech bidders without users' knowledge, highlighting systemic risks in programmatic advertising involving sensitive categories like sexual orientation. This adds to a pattern of regulatory scrutiny of Grindr's data-sharing practices, including an earlier Norwegian fine against Grindr itself and a 2024 London lawsuit over alleged sharing of HIV status data, suggesting intensifying European enforcement against adtech intermediaries, not just app operators.
- Norway fined Microsoft subsidiary Xandr $9.6 million over Grindr user data handling.
- The NDPA says Xandr assumed consent existed rather than verifying it directly.
- Grindr itself has faced a separate $6.2 million fine and a 2024 lawsuit over data sharing.
Source: engadget.com — Jackson Chen, 2026-10-12
Published there as: “Norway fined a Microsoft subsidiary $9.6 million for allegedly misusing Grindr user data”
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