Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC, LLCScarinci Hollenbeck, LLC, LLC

Firm Insights

Have You Considered the Privacy Risks of Online Dating Sites?

Author: Ronald S. Bienstock

Date: June 14, 2021

Key Contacts

Back
Have You Considered the Privacy Risks of Online Dating Sites?

Have you considered the potential privacy risks when using online dating sites? If not, you’re not alone...

Have you considered the potential privacy risks when using online dating sites? If not, you’re not alone. However, it is imperative to consider how carefully your private information and communications are being safeguarded and what might happen if your information and/or communication are disclosed.

As several high-profile users have learned the hard way, many sites save content and leave users vulnerable to having their personal data exposed. Even skilled privacy attorneys can’t undo what has already been released on social media platforms.

Uptick in Online Dating

Online dating has become increasingly popular in recent years. According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 30 percent of American adults reported using an online site or app in 2019. In response to COVID-19, even more people have turned to the Internet to form romantic relationships over the past year.

Due to the nature of the sites many of which are based in foreign venues, users of online dating sites often share sensitive information. This information may include personal data, such as sexual orientation, religion, or political affiliations; user data, such as what profiles are viewed/searched; and user content, such as personal photos, videos, and messages. 

As journalist Judith Duportail wrote in the Guardian, when she requested her personal data from the dating app platform Tinder, she received at least 800 pages worth of information. The data included her Facebook “likes,” links to her Instagram photos, her education information, the age-rank of men she was interested in, how many Facebook friends she had, when and where every online conversation with every single one of her matches happened, and the text of those conversations.

Privacy Risks of Online Dating Platforms

While online dating platforms provide new and convenient opportunities to connect with other people, their reliance of technology has serious privacy implications. As reported by Vox, dating apps have suffered several high-profile security breaches in recent years. In 2019, a bug in the chat feature on the dating app Jack’d made it possible to view users’ images sent as “private” on the public internet. In 2018, a security flaw caused by issues on both the Facebook platform and Tinder’s login system allowed researchers to take over user accounts using just their phone numbers.

While all data breaches can lead to serious headaches or worse, the fallout from a dating site breach can be particularly harmful. Examples include blackmail, doxing, financial losses, identity theft, emotional damage, reputation harm, revenge porn, and stalking, among other consequences.

In light of the privacy concerns associated with online dating platforms, users should review a website’s privacy policy and terms of service before opening an account and then make an informed risk assessment. Below are several important considerations:

  • What steps are taken to secure your data? It is important to verify that dating sites are taking steps to properly secure their site. For instance, if data is not encrypted, there is a risk that “eavesdroppers” could access your data when using a shared network.
  • Is your data shared with third parties? Users should also understand how their data will be shared outside the platform, which may include being shared with the platform’s business partners or outright sold to outside marketing companies.
  • How long does the site store your data? The longer a dating site stores your data, the greater the risk that it will be improperly disclosed.It is important to review a site’s data retention policies to ensure that your information is kept only as long as the site needs it for legitimate business purposes or as required by law.
  • Will your data be deleted if you close your account? Once you close your account, you don’t want your data to be stored for any significant amount of time. Privacy policies should provide that user data is deleted upon request or account closing.

Users should also take steps to protect themselves. Easy steps you can take include signing off after using a shared computer, choosing a robust password that can’t be easily guessed, using two-factor authentication, and keeping your log-in and password private.

Key Takeaway

Because the United States lacks a national data privacy law, there are no clear standards that businesses, including online dating sites, must follow. Accordingly, online dating users must be proactive in understanding how their sensitive data is (or is not) protected. If your information is compromised, there are ways to minimize the fallout; however, it is largely impossible to put the genie back in the bottle.

If you have questions, please contact us

If you have any questions or if you would like to discuss the matter further, please contact me, Ron Bienstock, or the Scarinci Hollenbeck attorney with whom you work, at 201-896-4100.

No Aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC, LLC

Related Posts

See all
Corporate Consolidation and Antitrust Issues in Mergers post image

Corporate Consolidation and Antitrust Issues in Mergers

Corporate consolidation involves two or more businesses merging to become a single larger entity. The result is often a stronger and more competitive company that can better navigate today’s competitive marketplace. What Is Corporate Consolidation? Corporate consolidation closely resembles a basic merger transaction. The primary difference is that a consolidation creates an entirely new business […]

Author: Dan Brecher

Link to post with title - "Corporate Consolidation and Antitrust Issues in Mergers"
What is Business Law and Why Is it Important? post image

What is Business Law and Why Is it Important?

Business law plays a critical role in nearly every aspect of running a successful enterprise, from negotiating a commercial lease to drafting employee policies to fulfilling corporate disclosure obligations. Understanding what is business law and your legal obligations can help your business run smoothly and build productive relationships with clients, business partners, regulators, and others. […]

Author: Dan Brecher

Link to post with title - "What is Business Law and Why Is it Important?"
Corporate Transactions: Best Practices for Successful Deals post image

Corporate Transactions: Best Practices for Successful Deals

Corporate transactions can have significant implications for a corporation and its stakeholders. For deals to be successful, companies must act strategically to maximize value and minimize risk. It is also important to fully understand the legal and financial ramifications of corporate transactions, both in the near and long term. Understanding Corporate Transactions The term “corporate […]

Author: Dan Brecher

Link to post with title - "Corporate Transactions: Best Practices for Successful Deals"
How to Conduct a Fair and Legal Employee Termination in 2025 post image

How to Conduct a Fair and Legal Employee Termination in 2025

Ongoing economic uncertainty is forcing many companies to make tough decisions, which includes lowering staff levels. The legal landscape on both the state and federal level also continues to evolve, especially with significant changes to the priorities of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) under the Trump Administration. Terminating an employee is one of the […]

Author: Angela A. Turiano

Link to post with title - "How to Conduct a Fair and Legal Employee Termination in 2025"
Admin Dissolution for Annual Report: What You Need to Know post image

Admin Dissolution for Annual Report: What You Need to Know

While filing annual reports may seem like a nuisance, failing to do so can have significant ramifications. These include fines, reputational harm, and interruption of your business operations. In basic terms, “admin dissolution for annual report” means that a company is dissolved by the government. This happens because it failed to submit its annual report […]

Author: Dan Brecher

Link to post with title - "Admin Dissolution for Annual Report: What You Need to Know"
What Is Antitrust Litigation Law? post image

What Is Antitrust Litigation Law?

Antitrust laws are designed to ensure that businesses compete fairly. There are three federal antitrust laws that businesses must navigate. These include the Sherman Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the Clayton Act. States also have their own antitrust regimes. These may vary from federal regulations. Understanding antitrust litigation helps businesses navigate these complex […]

Author: Robert E. Levy

Link to post with title - "What Is Antitrust Litigation Law?"

No Aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Sign up to get the latest from our attorneys!

Explore What Matters Most to You.

Consider subscribing to our Firm Insights mailing list by clicking the button below so you can keep up to date with the firm`s latest articles covering various legal topics.

Stay informed and inspired with the latest updates, insights, and events from Scarinci Hollenbeck. Our resource library provides valuable content across a range of categories to keep you connected and ahead of the curve.

Let`s get in touch!

* The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form. By providing a telephone number and submitting this form you are consenting to be contacted by SMS text message. Message & data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. You can reply STOP to opt-out of further messaging.

Sign up to get the latest from the Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC attorneys!