Norway fines Microsoft's Xandr $9.6M over Grindr data sharing

Norway's Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) has fined Xandr, a Microsoft-owned advertising company, $9.6M (NOK 92 million) for unlawfully processing and sharing sensitive data of Grindr users. The regulator said it is the largest fine it has ever issued, covering real-time ad auctions between July 2018 and April 2020 that exposed users' sexual orientation data without explicit consent.

• NOK 92 million ($9.6M) fine is Datatilsynet's largest ever
• Breaches occurred between July 2018 and April 2020
• Xandr failed to verify Grindr users' consent
• Complaint was filed by Noyb in January 2020