Privacy concerns are one of the social media user’s top concerns. Knowing that a company can keep your information private and safe can be reassuring. I know most of you who happen to read this blog may skip past the Privacy Policy that the many apps have on their application settings list. Sometimes I skip on reading them and the only way I will sadly hear about privacy concerns from a certain app is through the news or users who talk about their concerns with the apps. Some people tend to download apps that you upload information on and ignore the Privacy Policy, like me at times. I am here to make you well aware of privacy issues on social media. I will specifically look into Tinder and explain some of their Private Policy statements.
If you are not familiar with the Tinder app it is a dating app that is fairly new to the online dating scene. With the swipe to the right, you may end up matching with a potential person that sparks your interest. And, you never know, you just might be calling this person “bae” as they call it these days. Tinder uses Facebook to log into Tinder as this is called a third-party app login. Tinder states “your privacy is a top priority” on its Privacy Policy page and that they “do not compromise with your privacy”. This app constantly updates its security practices.
Some of the information they collect on an individual is the information they give to Tinder. This includes the date of birth and gender of the user. It also collects information from the individual that shares additional information like personality, lifestyle, details about the person, videos, and photos. The person had consented to the use of this by Tinder if they were to upload the info in their profile. Tinder has a section where you can pay for a subscription in which they now have your credit or debit card information. One that surprised me was they also collect conversations with people on the dating app so, I suggest being careful with what you say. Information can come from other users you are in contact with on the app if someone were to contact Tinder about that person.
Other information they tend to collect is how and when you use Tinder like what time you logged on, searches and much more. Tinder can also get information on the device you use to access the app such as the IP address. I honestly didn’t know they tracked this much information. To use Tinder, you must actually use the geolocation to see people close to you so, with consent they collect information on your location. Tinder may also use cookies that track you for authenticating your profile, sending ads, and allowing you to use the social feature.
So, you might be wondering why they use this information and how they use it. Well, the simple main reason Tinder gave was “to deliver and improve our services”. Tinder also says “we use your info to help keep you safe and to provide you with advertising that may be of interest to you.” Tinder says it shares your information with other users to create meaningful connections but they also share your information “with service providers and partners who assist us [them] in operating the services, with other Match Group companies and, in some cases, legal authorities.” What is your take on this?
If you’d like to delete your account Tinder retains your information for as long as they need it for business purposes. The retention is three months after you delete the account or after two years of not being active on the account. This raises an eyebrow for me and not sure about you.
Tinder can create some bonds with others you have met on the site. Some of their Privacy Policies are a bit skeptical as to how long they retain your information for and where they send the information to. What do you think about this? To read more on Tinder’s Privacy Policy please click here.
NATURALLY BRI 