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OkCupid Settles FTC Case On Alleged Misuse of Its Users' Personal Data (engadget.com)

(Monday March 30, 2026 @05:00PM (BeauHD) from the trust-issues dept.)


OkCupid and parent company Match Group [1]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:

> [2]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.



[1] https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/okcupid-settles-ftc-case-on-alleged-misuse-of-its-users-personal-data-175159228.html

[2] https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/03/ftc-takes-action-against-match-okcupid-deceiving-users-sharing-personal-data-third-party



Every time (Score:3)

by Valgrus Thunderaxe ( 8769977 )

a company says they won't share personal data, they do just that. Always, and without fail.

Re: (Score:3)

by TwistedGreen ( 80055 )

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.

I'd settle too (Score:2)

by DarkOx ( 621550 )

> 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.

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