How 3 Popular Dating Sites Have Invaded Users’ Privacy
Contributed by: ElyseRomano on Wednesday, March 30 2016 @ 06:52 am
Last modified on
It’s no secret that scammers flock to dating sites. Lovelorn singles are easy targets for con artists looking to lure victims into financial fraud, and over and over again, we hear tales of hackers stealing sensitive personal information to sell to the highest bidder.
What we don’t hear about nearly as often are infractions from the dating sites themselves. In fact, many popular dating services have a poor track record of security vulnerabilities and privacy violations.
Signing up for anything online puts you at risk, but dating services may be some of the most dangerous online destinations. Dating sites regularly collect data on users, then sell the information to marketers. Profiles can remain on company servers for years after subscriptions are canceled. Profiles may also be indexed by search engines, allowing services like Google Image Search to link photos on your profile with your real identity.
Even well-known, trusted dating sites have been guilty of privacy violations over the years. Here are some breaches:
OkCupid
OkCupid is famous for its extensive use of data, both to match users and to publish interesting studies on the OkTrends blog. The insights are interesting, but OkCupid hasn’t always protected its users’ privacy the way it should. A report in the San Francisco Public Press[*1] several years ago revealed that the company enlisted random users to read other users’ private messages and flag profiles with terms of service violations. Many of the users selected kept the conversations to themselves, but others posted unredacted screenshots of private messages online.
Match.com
Although Match.com is one of the most respected companies in the industry, the company has had its fair share of privacy scandals. Back in 2011, users accused the company of scamming them by populating lists of potential matches with canceled subscribers, duplicate profiles, and fake users - a deceptive practice, but not a privacy violation, until further allegations about Match’s fake profiles were made. The New York Post[*2] reported that models and celebrities claimed their images and biographical details were used to create Match.com’s fictitious profiles.
Plenty Of Fish
Sharing your personal info isn’t the only way dating sites can infringe on your privacy. Last year, Plenty Of Fish was slapped with a $48,000 penalty for violating Canada’s anti-spam laws. POF failed to provide sufficient unsubscribe options in the emails it sent to users, causing many to register complaints that their inboxes were flooded.