Sharing some of your personal life through online dating apps and websites may be a necessary component of searching for a partner in today’s world. But are you sharing more than you think you are?
In a recent article posted by The Guardian, when the author of the article requested her personal data from Tinder, she received roughly 800 pages of information back—800 pages of tracked locations, Facebook likes and friends, where and when she had conversations with her matches, and links to her Instagram photos amongst other data. As part of The Match Group family of businesses (which includes Match, OkCupid and OurTime), Tinder’s privacy policy states that a user’s information may be shared with other Match Group companies and used for targeted advertising, but what if your information were to get out beyond this?
Checkmarx, a security testing company, uncovered a Tinder app vulnerability which could let hackers see the photos downloaded by their users and whether they swiped left or right—creating the potential for intrusions into some of the most personal aspects of our lives.
So what does this mean for you if you’re one of Tinder’s millions of estimated users? Ultimately, it’s your choice as to what apps you use, but be aware of what sorts of data you’re potentially sharing. You probably don’t want to share too much on a first date, after all.
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