
Warning: *privacy not included with this product
Tinder
Tinder is the app that made swiping right for love--or a hook up--popular. Launched in 2012, Tinder is now one of the most popular dating apps on the planet. Profiles are quick and easy to set up with your picture being the most important thing. Users see your profile pictures and either swipe right to like or swipe left to reject. If the person you swiped right on also likes you, you can message each other and it's off to the races with your potential date. Tinder lets you connect via Facebook, add your Instagram, link your Spotify, or add your Snapchat. Tinder collects a whole lot of personal data on users. And it's got a pretty bad track record of protecting that data. Also, Tinder's algorithm for matching has come under some heat for potential questionable practices such as lowering the profile rankings of men who are free users and potentially charging users over the age of 28 more than younger users.
What could happen if something goes wrong?
Yeah, Tinder is pretty bad for your privacy and security. 70,000 women's photos from Tinder shared on a dodgy site known for criminal activity. Security vulnerabilities that made it possible for attackers to monitor a user's every move on the dating app. Add in the fact that a Norwegian Consumer Council study recently found some of these Match Group sites may be sharing users' personal information like your location and dating preferences to third parties and other Match Group brands in ways that may violate privacy laws, and you've got yourself a potential privacy mess.There are just a few of the privacy and security problems Tinder has been accused of over the past few years. Match Group owns Tinder and at least 45 other dating sites like Hinge, Match, and OKCupid. When you sign up with one of these dating sites, the Match Group privacy policy states they may share your personal information with any of the other Match Groups sites for what they say are non-commercial limited and critical purposes. That's a lot of personal data you might have thought only going to once place getting shared across multiple dating sites.Oh, and remember, when you connect a social media account like Facebook to Tinder, both Facebook and Tinder now potentially collect more information together. That's why we recommend users don't link your dating app to Facebook. What's the worst that could happen? So many bad things have already happened on Tinder, we don't need to outline them here. Just head down to the updates section at the bottom of this page and read some of them yourself.
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
Phone or third-party (Facebook or Apple) are required to sign up.
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Date of birth (required), gender (required), sexual orientation (required), university (optional), passions (optional), photos and/or videos (min of two), location (required), description (optional), job title (optional), employer (optional), city (optional), financial information (optional). Does not collect data on ethnicity.
Body related
None
Social
If a user connects their social media accounts to their dating profile, Tinder collects data from that social media account, such as Facebook. However, Tinder does not specify what data it collects and how it uses it.
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?
In early 2018, security researchers found that Tinder was lacking basic encryption for photos, as well as lacking basic HTTPS encryption on Tinder’s iOS and Android mobile apps. In fact, in early 2020, Tinder suffered a serious data breach which resulted in more than 70,000 images of women being shared online. In addition to these data breaches, Norwegian regulators started investigating Tinder, alleging that the company shared personal user data with advertising companies that may violate privacy laws. "
Can this product be used offline?
User-friendly privacy information?
Privacy policy is pretty technical even though they claim to make it accessible.
Links to privacy information
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
Tinder strengthen their encryption practices in 2018.
Strong password
Password isn't requires as login happens either via phone or third-party.
Security updates
Manages vulnerabilities
Tinder has a bounty program. It encourages security researchers to responsibly disclose any potential vulnerabilities uncovered to [email protected]. You can learn more about Tinder's bug bounty program at https://hackerone.com/tinder
Privacy policy
Includes security info
Tinder's algorithm appears to significantly influence the types of profiles a users sees and is shown to. Some researchers have pointed out that the algorithm might have some prejudice designed into it based on race, ethnicity, age, or gender.
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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Study says Grindr, OkCupid, and Tinder breach GDPRZDNet
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Study: Tinder, Grindr And Other Apps Share Sensitive Personal Data With AdvertisersNPR
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70,000 Tinder Photos of Women Just Got Dumped on a Cyber-Crime ForumGizmodo
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Are You on Tinder? Someone May Be Watching You SwipeCheckmarx
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Tinder may not get you a date. It will get your data.Vox
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Tinder privacy is not going to happenDiggit Magazine
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How to manage your privacy on TinderVPN Overview
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The Tinder algorithm, explainedVox
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How Tinder’s algorithm is micromanaging your dating lifeThe Spinoff
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I Found Out My Secret Internal Tinder Rating And Now I Wish I Hadn’tFast Company
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Tinder finally encrypted everyone’s photosThe Verge
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Tinder will soon let you run a background check on a potential dateThe Verge
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Tinder Sets Dating App Standard for SecurityTinder
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Introducing a New Global Privacy Preferences ToolMatch Group
Comments
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