ftc / dating apps / data sharing

Jonathan Stempel / Reuters : Match Group agrees to settle an FTC lawsuit claiming it illegally shared user data from the OkCupid app with facial recognition tech company Clarifai in 2014 — Match Group (MTCH.O) settled a U.S. Federal Trade Commission lawsuit accusing it of giving an outside company access to personal data …

The FTC alleges Match Group and OkCupid deceived users by sharing nearly three million user photos, location and demographic data with a third party—reported to be Clarifai—without user consent or contractual limits, violating privacy promises. The complaint says OkCupid shared large datasets in 2014 because its founders had a financial stake in the recipient and failed to restrict how the data could be used; the agency also highlights differential pricing by gender. Proposed settlements and federal filings are linked but commenters question whether shared copies or derived ML models must be purged. The action matters for data privacy, AI training practices, and platform accountability affecting user trust and regulation.

For Release FTC Takes Action Against Match and OkCupid for Deceiving Users by Sharing Personal Data with Third Party Order follows FTC success in enforcing Civil Investigative Demand in federal court March 30, 2026

For Release FTC Takes Action Against Match and OkCupid for Deceiving Users by Sharing Personal Data with Third Party Order follows FTC success in enforcing Civil Investigative Demand in federal court March 30, 2026