
Warning: *privacy not included with this product
Her
HER is a dating app targeted at lesbian, bisexual, and queer people, mostly women. Launched in 2013 and then rebranded in 2015 as HER, this dating app claims to have over four million users. The app works with the swipe left/swipe right dating app format and is free to sign up. Users who choose not to upgrade to premium features can see some profile details like name and picture, but not full profiles. Premium features are required to see full profiles and message users beyond friends and mutual matches.
What could happen if something goes wrong?
The creepiest thing we found about HER is the section of their privacy policy where they state,"With your permission, we will access your address book, call log and SMS log, and import your contacts’ names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, image, geographic location and Facebook IDs to facilitate automatic connection with your friends." Basically, they want your permission to access a whole lot of your personal information so they can try and get others to join the site. They'll even send your friends emails from you to invite them to join the site. That just feels creepy. Would you give your neighbor access to your phone's contacts, location, pictures, and more and then let them email those people from you with a request to hang out? I sure wouldn't and I like my neighbors. HER also pushes users to sign up with Facebook or Instagram, although users can now also sign up with their phone number or Apple login. When you connect a social media account like Facebook to a dating app, both Facebook and the dating app now potentially collect more information together. That's why we recommend users don't link your dating app to Facebook. What could go wrong on HER? You give them permission to access all your contacts and they start emailing people to join HER from your email account. Your Grandma, who you haven't come out to yet, gets an invite from you to join a lesbian dating app, jumps out of her chair in a tizzy, trips over her cat and breaks her hip. No one wants Grandma to break her hip (or for you to get outed before you're ready).
Can it snoop on me?
Camera
Device: N/A
App: Yes
Microphone
Device: N/A
App: Yes
Tracks location
Device: N/A
App: Yes
What can be used to sign up?
Yes
Phone
Yes
Third-party account
Yes
Users sign-up with either email or third-party (Apple or Google or Facebook).
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Name (required), birth date (required), gender (optional), sexual identity (optional), pronouns (optional), relationship status (optional), drinking habits (optional), smoking habits (optional), cannabis habit (optional), political views (optional), religion (optional), diet (optional), star sign (optional), family preferences (optional). Does not appear collect data on ethnicity.
Body related
Height (optional)
Social
HER may receive data from social media profiles depending on a user’s privacy setting on that social media platform and their Privacy Policy. The dating app offers user’s to connect their Facebook lists to the dating app, in order to find friends more easily. HER does not provide any further details.
How does the company use this data?
How can you control your data?
What is the company’s known track record of protecting users’ data?
No known incidents in the last two years
Can this product be used offline?
User-friendly privacy information?
Overall, the privacy policy is clear, although at times lacking in detail. For example, how do they interact with social media? Why are they scrapping so much detail from one's address book and how do they use that data? How long do they retain data?
Links to privacy information
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
We were unable to determine if they use encryption to protect users' personal information, chats, photos, and more.
Strong password
Password wasn't requires as login happens either via phone or third-party
Security updates
Manages vulnerabilities
They do not appear to be part of bug bounty program
Privacy policy
HER's Privacy Policy doesn't include comprehensive details on safety
Comments
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