The knowledge that dating apps routinely share users’ (often extremely) personal information with third-party marketing companies has been out in the open for at least a few years now. Just like social media, profiles on platforms such as Tinder, Hinge, and Grindr contain valuable troves of data for advertisers, and they’re willing to make some very lucrative offers to these companies, even if that goes against the preferences of consumers.
Knowing that, it’s unfortunate but unsurprising to hear the latest news that OkCupid is apparently under a U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigation for allegedly selling profile pictures to a facial recognition company without the public’s knowledge or consent. Reports that OkCupid’s parent corporation, Match.com, had provided facial ID provider Clarifai with photos first surfaced in 2019 via The New York Times, and a new analysis from Reuters looking into the subsequent legal stonewalling and recent attempts to litigate privately points to some very embarrassing information for the company.
