User:Qewel/Privacy on dating apps

Privacy concerns with online dating services include potential infringements upon individuals' right to privacy when utilizing an online dating platform. While it is a branch of social media, online dating services introduce a set of threats to privacy that are either amplified or entirely exclusive from the privacy concerns of social media use in general, making these services notably risky to use.[1] Among existing online dating platforms, there have been numerous instances of data leaks, malicious intent, and cases of impression management that reveal the privacy risks of using online dating services.

Account creation

In the interest of connecting strangers pursuing romantic relationships via the internet, online dating websites ask its users for information that is typically different and, at times, more detailed than that of standard social networking services. For example, Match.com will request information about the user's height, weight, sexual orientation, location, and etc. upon creation of an account in order to match users with others that share similar preferences or location.

Impression Management

Impression management describes a form of self-presentation in which an individual controls or manipulates information to affect the perceptions others have on a person, object, or event. In the midst of pursuing relationships online, social media users will often times disclose information on their online dating accounts that will only bolster their appeal as opposed to potentially portraying themselves in a negative light if they were more open about their lives online.[2] Psychologist Alterovitz' study on partner preference changes over life spans concluded that men's online dating profiles have been observed to display their occupation more often than those of women's, while women on the other hand, generally indicate on their profiles that they were seeking men with status, and it is preferences such as these that largely dictate the content represented or altered on dating profiles.[3]

Catfishing

There is a level of deception that many online dating services users are inclined to follow when creating their accounts to suit the preferences of the types of people they want to attract. An extreme case of manipulating information to deceive other users on an online dating website is catfishing.[4]

Online dating platforms and their privacy policies

There are numerous online dating platforms available on the internet, all of which have published privacy policies readily accessible on the website. While privacy policies are intended to be upfront about online services' intentions with the information they collect from users, there is a false impression by consumers that the existence of a privacy policy on a website ensures that their privacy will not be susceptible to violation.[5]

Match.com

As per Match.com's privacy policy, the site collects personal information, sensitive data, and other information. With consent, the site could be enabled to track location through the website or mobile application.

Any personal information supplied by user is subject to being sent to servers located around the world. Identifying information such as name, email address, phone number, and financial information are considered personal information and can all be provided by user and collected and stored by Match.com. Demographic information such as age, gender, interests, and hometown are requested.

Advertisements from third parties may be displayed on site, potentially using tracking technologies, such as cookies, to collect information about users who view or interact with their advertisements. Personal information is not provided to third parties.

There is a number of ways that Match.com claims to be utilizing the user information it collects, including providing its products and services to users, catering advertisements to the users' interests, tracking ads, analyzing data, displaying user profiles on other Match Group websites, and collecting financial information.

eHarmony

eHarmony categorizes the information they collect as personally identifiable information (PII) and non-personally identifiable information (non-PII). PII consists of any information which can be used to specifically identify an individual, whereas non-PII consists of information that does not directly expose an individual's identity.

When registering for eHarmony's services, a wide variety of information is requested and culminated from its users. Upon creating a profile to utilize the Singles service, answers provided by the user to the site's proprietary questionnaire are used to build a profile that is then used to match the user with other, "compatible" users on the site. Individual responses to the questions about personality are strictly confidential, while other non-PII (such as first name, occupation, height, etc.) are used to build the user's profile. Most recent log-in times are also viewable by other members of the site. Upon registration, an e-mail address from the user is required, used for both transactional (e.g., order confirmation, refund and renewal processing, notifying of matches for our Singles service) and promotional (e.g., newsletters, new product offerings, special discounts, event notifications, special third-party offers) purposes.

Using eHarmony on a mobile device lends the site access to device information, operating system and version information, and IP address. Geolocational information can be collected upon consent.

Tinder

Tinder claims to use a variety of technologies to collect information on its members, automatically from mobile devices or browsers when its service is being utilized. Third-parties may also collect information from Tinder members for advertising purposes. Personal information can be shared with service providers, other Match group businesses, or when required by the law.

The use of Tinder is intended to be restricted to individuals at least 18 years of age, and therefore the information from minors is not knowingly collected or used by the site.

Ashley Madison

Similar to most other online dating services, basic information about the user is required before being granted to their services, including contact information (e.g. email address), demographic information (e.g. city of residence, zip/postal code, age, gender and ethnicity), and personal characteristics (height, weight and body type). Information about IP address and location is also collected.

If consented to, Ashley Madison will also collect the user's location information from their mobile device to locate other Platform members in their area. Other uses of the user's information include: individualized advertisements, market research, processing payments and resolving payment disputes, and managing the account and providing customer support.

Data Leaks

Ashley Madison data breach

In July 2015, a group called "the Impact Team" attempted to blackmail the Ashley Madison and Established Men websites into shutting down with the threat of releasing the personal information of its users. In August 2015, 25 gigabytes of data was leaked, culminating in the Ashley Madison data breach.

Revenge porn

Revenge porn is the distribution of materials of a sexually explicit nature that is not consented to by the person or people represented in the image or video. This is banned in 34 states, regarded as psychological abuse, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. Online dating services, such as Tinder, have been utilized as a means of dispersing revenge porn products.[6]