Xandr Fined a Record €8.6 Million for Relaying Grindr Data Revealing Sexual Orientation
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
Norway's data regulator fined Xandr, Microsoft’s advertising unit, €8.6 million for illegally transmitting Grindr users’ sensitive data of Norwegian users' privacy and rights, including sexual orientation, to advertisers between July 2018 and April 2020. The authority deemed Xandr a joint controller with Grindr, finding it did not obtain explicit consent and instead relied on Grindr’s alleged consent. In real‑time bidding, Xandr relayed the data to potentially thousands of ad buyers who could bid on users without their knowledge. The penalty, based on Xandr’s pre‑acquisition turnover, is the regulator’s highest ever. Xandr has three weeks to appeal; Microsoft says it is reviewing the decision. The case follows recent settlements by Grindr in the U.K. and AT&T in the United States over similar privacy breaches.
💡 Why It Matters
- · It shows that ad‑tech firms can be held financially accountable for exploiting intimate data, reshaping how consent is enforced across the digital advertising supply chain.
