How much privacy users give up for romance - ID verification in dating apps

With Tinder introducing ID verification to combat criminal activity, the privacy and security implications of disclosing this information have become a concern. Incogni's analysis found that the majority of dating apps already collect information on sexual orientation, political and religious beliefs, and sometimes also race and ethnicity. After multiple incidents involving the mishandling of user data, questions arise regarding the extent to which users give away personal data for romance.

Incogni, a data security company, has conducted research examining the handling of personal data by the top nine dating apps, as identified by Forbes. The findings reveal online dating practices where users unwillingly expose sensitive information, potentially putting themselves at risk in the event of a data breach and consequently revealing their data to unauthorized sources.

Our investigation revealed that, on average, these dating apps collect 20 data points per user, with Facebook leading the pack at 37 data points, including contacts, calendars, files and docs, voice recordings, videos and photos, SMS and emails, fitness and health info, credit score, sexual orientation, and political and religious beliefs. It is worth noting, that Facebook Dating is only available through the Facebook app, meaning that some data the app discloses collecting and sharing might not be strictly relevant to the dating functionality.

Bumble, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and Coffee Meets Bagel all collect information on race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and political and religious beliefs. Tinder and BLK Dating also collect sexual orientation. It is worth noting that all the apps collect other data, which could include gender identity, date of birth, and veteran status.

Notably, Tinder emerges as one of the most liberal sharers of user data, with 10 data points reaching third parties. It is followed closely by Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and BLK Dating, each sharing 9 data points.

The most sensitive data being disclosed with third parties are purchase history, shared by Bumble, and approximate location and apps, shared by Hinge, Plenty of Fish, Tinder, and BLK Dating. Happn also discloses users' approximate location, while Coffee Meets Bagel and Feels claim not to share any info.

Despite efforts to enhance security, incidents involving the mishandling of user data are critically common. Instances such as pictures of users being scraped and published online highlight the vulnerability of personal information on these platforms.

"While measures such as Tinder's ID verification are steps in the right direction, app developers must be held accountable for securing and prioritizing user data security and privacy. The risks associated with collecting sensitive documents such as passports and driver's licenses underline the need for strict protocols to safeguard data against potential breaches and, consequently, unauthorized use by unauthorized entities", says Darius Belejevas, Head of Incogni.

As dating apps continue to collect a lot of personal information, users need to exercise better judgment when sharing optional data with dating apps and the strangers they interact with. However, the main responsibility should still lie with the app developers to ensure the security and safety of users and their data.

Incogni's research team identified some of the most well-known dating apps based on Forbes' ranking. On January 29, 2024, the research team collected information about these apps from the Google Play Store, noting what user information the selected apps collected and shared and for what purposes.

The full text of the study and images are available here: https://blog.incogni.com/dating-apps-privacy-research/

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Incogni is a subscription-based service that helps users exercise their right to make data brokers delete their personal information. Incogni automatically removes users' data from hundreds of data brokers' databases and conducts regular sweeps to ensure brokers don't add the information again.

This release was published on openPR.