Norway Fines Xandr 92 Million Kroner Over Grindr Data
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority has fined Microsoft-owned advertising company Xandr 92 million kroner for using Grindr data in ad auctions without a legal basis.
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority, "Datatilsynet", fined digital advertising company "Xandr", owned by Microsoft, 92 million Norwegian kroner in the largest fine in its history.
The fine came as a result of data from users of the "Grindr" app passing through real-time ad auctions between July 2018 and April 2020 without a sound legal basis, according to the authority's decision issued on October 2 and published on October 12.
The authority found that the data falls under the special category under Article 9 of the GDPR, and that "Xandr" was a joint controller that could not rely solely on "Grindr's" consent.
The fine was calculated based on Xandr's own turnover so as not to exceed the 20 million euro cap, and the company has three weeks to appeal.
What do these terms mean?
"Xandr": A platform for managing and serving digital ads, operating within Microsoft.
Joint Controller: An entity that shares with another party the determination of the purposes and means of data processing, and bears joint responsibility for it.
Special Category Data: Sensitive data such as health data or sexual orientation, which GDPR subjects to strict protection.
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