Norway to fine dating app Grindr $11.7M over privacy breach
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They are served a draft decision of a fine worth 10% of the company's global annual revenue, totalling to $11.7M USD.
Quoted in the Guardian: "Grindr argued that sexual orientation, a specially protected category of data, was not exposed by selling its users’ data, since some of them may be straight. That argument was rejected by the Norwegian authorities, who noted that the app explicitly markets itself as “exclusively for the gay/bi community”."
https://apnews.com/article/europe-data-privacy-norway-12d34063d0c20acd0e7a55fc8a6dfe1d
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/26/grindr-fined-norway-sharing-personal-information
That aside, I wish laws around fining would move and reform to fine people/companies in proportion to their income or net worth/revenue as a serious deterrent for multinationals or the super wealthy.
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Ouch. Can they really collect on that? What's to keep Grindr from simply blocking or ignoring Norway?
The one and only time I downloaded Grindr after hearing so much about it and curious as to what it looked like was while at YMCA pre-Covid and freaking deleted it ASAP after scrolling to see so many near me. This location in a quite religious semi-upscale part of town is desirable for the new indoor pool, and I guess for the men too!
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@bc22 That is a good question! I have no idea; I don't know their legal system well enough to say.
But I would assume, there could be ramifications if they choose not to pay and get locked out due to non-compliance in Europe. That would certainly hurt their business as there are plenty more alternative platforms.
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International law would allow, once the case is over or a government body decides the issue, to request other countries to seize their bank accounts and property to settle the judgment. This is assuming that they don't settle it willingly.
