After neglecting to read privacy policy, priest sues Grindr for disclosure

A scorned priest sued Grindr, alleging that the company failed to protect his personal information, which caused the Catholic organization that monitored his sexual orientation to reveal his sexual orientation and forced him to resign from his cushy position at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill resigned as USCCB secretary general shortly after reports emerged in July 2021 that he had engaged in “possibly inappropriate conduct” on a popular gay dating app.

Pillar Grindr’s “commercially available records” show that in 2018, 2019, and 2020, he visited numerous gay bars, private residences, and at least one bathhouse in cities across the country.

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The irony is that he did all this while simultaneously preaching that homosexuality is a sin and that homosexual people are doomed to spend eternity in hell, and so on.

Now Burrill is suing Grindr, claiming the company “destroyed” his reputation by allowing his data to be sold to third parties.

The lawsuit, filed this week in California Superior Court, alleges that the group Catholic Laity and Clergy for Renewal may have purchased his personal information and then sent it to The Pillar, which published it, leading to his departure from the USCCB.

The priest, who took a vow of poverty, said he has “suffered significant financial harm” and is seeking compensation from Grindr, legal fees and an “injunction.”

It also asks the court to prohibit the app from “engaging in such unlawful, unfair and deceptive business practices.”

Well, the thing is, Grindr didn’t do anything illegal.

The app very clearly states in its privacy policy that it collects data and shares it with third parties. And there is no way to do that. By signing up for the app, the user agrees to share their personal data.

Burrill, who returned to active ministry after a “sincere and prayerful effort to strengthen his priesthood vows,” may not be happy about his personal information being sold to a third party, but perhaps he should have considered it before after taking a vow of chastity, he registered with an app for gay men who have sex.

One of his duties as general secretary of the USCCB was to help manage the church’s response to clergy sex scandals and cover-ups. Ironically, when it came to managing his own cover-up, Burrill forgot to read the fine print.

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