Norway’s data privacy regulator imposed a 65 million Norwegian kroner (approximately 550 million rupees) fine on dating app Grindr on Wednesday for sending sensitive advertising partners to hundreds of potential advertising partners without the user’s consent. Personal data-This violates strict EU privacy rules.

The Norwegian Data Protection Agency stated that because the California-based company did not comply with the EU’s strict data protection regulations, it imposed the highest fine to date. Norway is not a member of the G-27, but it closely reflects EU rules.

Grindr said that the agency’s findings are related to the consent policy many years ago, rather than current practices, and it is considering next steps, including appeals. The data watchdog “relies on a series of flawed investigations, introducing many untested legal opinions, and as a result, the proposed fines are completely disproportionate to those flawed investigations,” said Shane Wiley, Grindr’s chief privacy officer .

In 2020, the Norwegian Consumer Council filed a lawsuit against Grindr, accusing Grindr of disclosing information about its users to multiple third parties for marketing purposes, including GPS location, IP address, age, gender, and use of the app. This allows identifying users and third parties that may further share personal information.

The data privacy watchdog stated that users were “forced to fully accept the privacy policy in order to use the app” and were not specifically asked if they wish to allow sharing of their data with third parties “for behavioral advertising”. “Furthermore, the agency stated that information about sharing personal data was not properly communicated to users”, which runs counter to the EU’s requirement for “valid consent”.

Finn Myrstad, Director of Digital Policy at the Consumer Council, said that the Data Protection Agency’s decision “sends a strong signal to all companies involved in commercial surveillance.”

Ala Krinickyte of the European Center for Digital Rights, a non-profit organization, said: “It’s surprising that DPA must convince Grindr that its users are LGBT+, and this fact is not a barter commodity.”

Grindr said in a statement, “Protecting the interests of users and ensuring that we let them control their personal data has always been our top priority.”

“We are also actively adopting industry-leading privacy stances and tools, such as detailed consent processes, sophisticated user privacy controls, and ‘instant’ application notifications,” Wiley said.

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