Dating apps are failing to follow good privacy practices and are collecting more data than ever in order to appeal to Generation Z users, a new study from Mozilla has found. Researchers examined dating apps in terms of privacy in 2021. In the latest report, they noted that dating apps have become more data-intensive and more intrusive.
The organization studied 25 apps and labeled 22 of them “Privacy Not Included” – the lowest rating in Mozilla parlance. Mozilla gave Lex only a positive review, owned and operated by Queer, with Harmony and Happn earning a fair rating.
Mozilla said that 80% of apps can share or sell your personal data for advertising purposes. The report notes that apps like Bumble have obscure privacy clauses that could sell your data to advertisers.
“We use services that help improve marketing campaigns. . . Under some privacy laws, this may be considered selling or sharing your personal information with our marketing partners,” a pop-up in the app states, as noted by Mozilla.
The report notes that the majority of apps, including Hinge, Tinder, OKCupid, Match, Plenty of Fish, BLK and BlackPeopleMeet, had precise geolocation of users. Apps like Hinge collect location data in the background when the app is not in use.
“The collection of your geolocation may take place in the background even when you are not using the Services if the authorization you have given us expressly authorizes such collection. If you deny us permission to collect your precise geolocation, we will not collect it and our services that rely on precise geolocation may not be available to you,” Hinge’s policy states.
The insidious role of data brokers
Dating apps claim to collect a significant amount of data to find better matches for users. However, if this data ends up with data brokers, the consequences will be serious. Last year, the Washington Post reported that a US-based Catholic group had purchased data from Grindr to monitor certain members.
Notably, Grindr – which received one of the lowest ratings in Mozilla’s assessment – had a number of lapses in privacy and security practices.
“If dating apps think people are going to continue handing over their most intimate data – basically, everything except their mother’s maiden name – without finding love, they are underestimating their users. Their predatory privacy practices are a drag on the deal,” Zoë MacDonald, a researcher and one of the report’s authors, said in a statement.
According to data from analytics firm data.ai, downloads of dating apps are slowing down. Separately, Pew Research data released last year suggests that only three in 10 adults have ever used a dating site or app – a figure that has remained the same since 2019. Last month, the New York Times released a report noting that dating app giants Match Group and Bumble have lost more than $40 billion in market value since 2021.
Businesses are now looking for new ways to engage potential matches, including experimenting with AI-powered features. Match Group has already stated during its third quarter 2024 results that it plans to leverage AI. In March, Platformer reported that Grindr planned to introduce an AI chatbot capable of sexually explicit language.
Mozilla said apps already use AI to match algorithms. With the advent of generative AI, researchers are not convinced that dating apps will have enough protections for user privacy.
Misha Rykov, a privacy researcher at Mozilla, said that as dating apps collect more data, they have a duty to protect that data from exploitation.
“To forge stronger matches, users must write compelling profiles, fill out numerous interest and personality surveys, ass and charm matches, share photos and videos – the whole experience is highly dependent on the amount of information shared by people. Therefore, dating applications must protect this data against any exploitation,” he noted.
Earlier this year, Mozilla also evaluated a group of AI bots that could act as a romantic partner and found serious concerns about the security and data sharing practices of these bots.
techcrunch
