OkCupid Settles FTC Case On Alleged Misuse of Its Users' Personal Data (engadget.com) 11
OkCupid and parent company Match Group settled an FTC case dating back to 2014 over allegations that the dating app shared users' photos and other personal data with a third party without proper disclosure or opt-out rights. Engadget reports: According to the FTC, OkCupid's privacy policy at the time noted that the company wouldn't share a user's personal information with others, except for some cases including "service providers, business partners, other entities within its family of businesses." However, the lawsuit accused OkCupid of sharing three million photos of its users to Clarifai, which the FTC claims is a "unrelated third party" that didn't fall under the allowed entities. On top of that, the lawsuit alleged that OkCupid didn't inform its users of this data sharing, nor give them a chance to opt out.
Moving forward, the settlement would "permanently prohibit" Match Group, which owns OkCupid, and Humor Rainbow, which operates OkCupid, from misrepresenting what kind of personal information it collects, the purpose for collecting the data and any consumer choices to prevent data collection. Even after the 2014 incident, OkCupid was found with security flaws that could've exposed user account info but, which were quickly patched in 2020.
Moving forward, the settlement would "permanently prohibit" Match Group, which owns OkCupid, and Humor Rainbow, which operates OkCupid, from misrepresenting what kind of personal information it collects, the purpose for collecting the data and any consumer choices to prevent data collection. Even after the 2014 incident, OkCupid was found with security flaws that could've exposed user account info but, which were quickly patched in 2020.
Every time (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Just apply the Formula. At a certain point, the opportunity cost of not selling your data exceeds the cost of getting caught and having to pay some paltry fines, so they effectively have a legal obligation to their shareholders to do so.
Re: (Score:2)
And when a company doesn't say they won't share personal information, they share it.
In other words, any company you give personal information to will share it. Whether they say they will or not is irrelevant.
And in other news, the sky is blue, water is wet, and politicians lie.
Re: (Score:2)
I'd settle too (Score:3)
Moving forward, the settlement would "permanently prohibit" Match Group, which owns OkCupid, and Humor Rainbow, which operates OkCupid, from misrepresenting what kind of personal information it collects, the purpose for collecting the data and any consumer choices to prevent data collection.
So basically the FCC said guys, say your really sorry and promise not do it again.
Re: I'd settle too (Score:1)
"I don't recall saying I'm sorry."
Judges should mandate a name change (Score:2)
"with no monetary penalty"? (Score:3)
How then is it a settlement? And how are users to be compensated?
Re: "with no monetary penalty"? (Score:1)
The issue is now settled.
The users will not be compensated.
Any more silly questions?
They'll get their money refunded (Score:3)
How then is it a settlement? And how are users to be compensated?
They'll get their money refunded...oh wait, no one fucking pays for that service. A quick google puts estimates of only 5% have paid. I've missed the dating apps, for better or worse, by meeting my wife in college, before they were a thing, but my single friends tell me OKCupid is a sewer of married men who don't want dating app charges appearing on the credit card statement and broke losers. Ever female friend of mine who tried it said they were instantly harassed by the lowest quality garbage men the l
Insecure (Score:2)
It is really sad what happened to the product. A prime example of what Cory Doctorow calls enshittification. there needs to be a harder push for open source apps, so we could stop the trend of products thea go down the drain and improve the security of services.
It was a really cool platform for making dating related personality tests and nerd around with other users, and then things happened.