Warning: *Privacy Not Included with this product
Launched in 2015, Salams (formerly known as Minder) is a dating app targeted at Muslim men and women looking for other Muslim people to date. Free to sign up and message members who you match with, users have to buy Telegrams, sold in packs of three or ten, to message members they haven't matched with. With around 350,000 users worldwide, the app allows people to target specific Muslim affiliations such as Sunni, Shia, or "Just Muslim" as part of their search. Billed as both a dating and marriage app, Salams does seem to place some priority on privacy, with a blurred photo option and a stealth mode that allows users to choose who can see their profile. A phone number or Facebook account is require to sign up.
What could happen if something goes wrong?
Good for Salams for coming out right at the top of their privacy policy and telling users they never sell your data and they never will. That's nice to see. They also say the strive to be transparent in how they process your data. This one we're a little skeptical about. They allow users to sign in with their Facebook login, yet no where in the privacy policy do they state what information they might be collecting on your from Facebook or vice versa. Remember, when you connect a social media account like Facebook to Salams, both Facebook and Salams may now potentially collect more information together. That's why we recommend users don't link your dating app to Facebook. Still, it's good to remember that Salams collects a lot of personal information on its users, including things like prayer levels, Islamic priorities, and smoking habits. In 2017, a security researcher discovered a vulnerability that could have leaked all a lot of personal information on Salams users. What's the worst that could happen? It can be dangerous for Muslim women to reveal much about their dating and sex lives, so the worst case scenario feels like it could be pretty bad.
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?
No
Phone
Yes
Third-party account
Yes
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Name (required), gender (required), date of birth (required), answering of topics (required), sect (required), education level (required), family origins (optional), employment (optional), photos (minimum one), videos (optional), selfie verification (required), location (optional), personality trait (optional), ideal marital timing (optional), languages, (optional), religiosity (optional), prayer levels (optional), Islamic priorities (optional), smoking (optional), hijab (optional), drinking (optional), halal meat (optional), willingness to relocate (optional), number of children (optional), content of chats (required). Does not appear to collect data on ethnicity as such.
Body related
Height (optional)
Social
Salams' Privacy Policy does not provide any specific details on what data they collect when users choose to sign-in with Facebook. This is a concern.
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?
A large-scale vulnerability was identified by security researchers in December, 2017. Data made potentially accessible to all Minder users included: Full name; DOB; Exact location (GPS coordinates); Phone number; Email; Instagram account ID and access token; Facebook account ID and access token.
Can this product be used offline?
User-friendly privacy information?
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
Salams' Privacy Policy states that "We regularly monitor our systems for possible vulnerabilities and attacks and regularly review our information collection, storage and processing practices to update our physical, technical and organizational security measures."
Privacy policy
Does the product use AI?
Is this AI untrustworthy?
What kind of decisions does the AI make about you or for you?
Is the company transparent about how the AI works?
Does the user have control over the AI features?
Dive Deeper
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Large Vulnerability in Minder Potentially Compromised a Quarter Million Users DataMohammed Davooodi on Medium
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Minder Review February 2021Dating Scout
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A 'halal' app for dirty fantasies: How 'Tinder for Muslims' is also feeding fetishes far removed from its original intentFirst Post
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