Exclusive: Grindr to appeal Norwegian fine for privacy violations

Gay dating service Grindr plans to file an appeal of a fine from Norwegian regulators later Monday.

Why it matters: Norway found that Grindr illegally disclosed user data to advertisers, but the company says it is being singled out for widely used practices.

Catch up quick: Norway said in December that it would fine Grindr 65 million Norwegian crowns (around $7 million) for violating data protection laws.

• That was reduced from a prior plan to fine the company 100 million crowns, as Reuters reported, because the government said the company was working to address problems.

The latest: In a draft of its appeal, seen by Axios, Grindr argues that it understands the importance of protecting customer privacy and is doing so.

• "Grindr believes that the Administrative Fine reflects incorrect interpretations of the GDPR and Norwegian law and appears to want to hold Grindr — a relatively small player in a much larger ecosystem — responsible for industry-wide practices notwithstanding that Grindr has maintained and continues to advance its strong compliance practices," the company argues.