Biggest name in online dating and one of its apps spanked by the FTC for sharing photos and more
Dating app deceives its subscribers by sharing their personal data.
FTC settles with OkCupid and its parent. | Image by Federal Trade Commission
What's the worst thing that could happen to users of a dating app? Well, you could find someone on the app you want to go out with and experience the date from hell. Even worse, how would you feel if the personal information that you submitted to the app, including photos and location info, were shared with a third party, and you were not informed of this? That is exactly how subscribers to the OkCupid app must have felt after news broke yesterday about a settlement reached with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
OkCupid subscribers were deceived according to the FTC
According to the FTC, OkCupid and its owner, Match Group Americas, deceived users by failing to live up to the privacy promises of the app. As a result, OkCupid members' photographs and location were shared with an undisclosed third party. A settlement with the FTC prohibits Humor Rainbow, Inc., Match Group Americas, which provides services for Humor Rainbow, and the dating app from misrepresenting its privacy policies.
According to the federal complaint, known as Federal Trade Commission v. Match Group Americas, LLC, and Humor Rainbow (d/b/a OkCupid), the FTC discovered that OkCupid gave an unauthorized third party access to the personal data belonging to millions of the app's users. As we already pointed out, OkCupid's actions violated its own privacy policies. The FTC was previously successful in federal court enforcing its Civil Investigative Demand, which required OkCupid to turn over to the regulatory agency any information it requested.
The FTC enforces the privacy promises that companies make. We will investigate, and where appropriate, take action against companies that promise to safeguard your data but fail to follow through—even if that means we have to enforce our Civil Investigative Demands in court.
Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection
The dating app failed to restrict how the personal data could be used by the third party
In its privacy policy, OkCupid says that subscribers' personal information may be shared with service providers, business partners, and other companies within its family of businesses. The data is also shared when consumers are informed about it and are given the opportunity to opt out of sharing. However, the FTC's complaint says that the third party that the dating app was sharing with was not a business partner, service provider, or family affiliate—and the dating app did not inform consumers or give them the chance to opt out of such sharing.
The OkCupid App Store listing. | Image by OkCupid
The third-party app was given access to nearly three million OkCupid subscriber photographs, location data, and other information. The dating app failed to place any restriction on how the data could be used, the FTC alleged. The FTC also claims that since September 2014, both OkCupid and Match Group tried to conceal what happened and even attempted to obstruct the FTC's investigation. For example, when a news article claimed that a third party had received large datasets from OkCupid, the latter told its subscribers and the media that it had nothing to do with the third party, which the FTC disputes.
The proposed settlement prohibits OkCupid and Match from misrepresenting:
- The extent to which the companies collect, maintain, and use any personal information such as photos, demographic, and geolocation data.
- The reason why the companies collect, maintain, and use this particular personal data.
- The function of privacy controls provided to consumers via the app's UI, and any options given to consumers under applicable state privacy laws.
Match Group is the biggest name in online dating
If you're interested in the OkCupid app, you can find it for iPhone users in the App Store. Simply tap on this link. Android users can install the app from the Google Play Store by tapping on this link.
Match Group is the biggest name in online dating, with an online portfolio that spans many different regions, demographics, and relationship goals. Among the dating apps owned by Match Group are:
- Tinder, which is the world's most popular and famous dating app. This is the app that brought "swipe left" and "swipe right" to the mainstream.
- Hinge, the dating app designed for those seeking a more serious relationship.
- Match.com, the original flagship brand with high subscription costs that is aimed at older professionals.
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