![How can users select the dating app which best protects their privacy? Start from a vetted app marketplace such as the Google Play Store or Apple App Store [File]](https://th-i.thgim.com/public/news/national/aidsuz/article66999148.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/iStock-1325231797.jpg "How can users select the dating app which best protects their privacy? Start from a vetted app marketplace such as the Google Play Store or Apple App Store [File]")
Food, politics, and social life preferences are some of the topics Indians may discuss with their romantic partners after finding them on a dating app. But long before sharing this information with another person, they may have already revealed it to their dating or matrimony app.
These apps take permission from users to collect personal details about them. In the app, the data is used to filter profiles so that users can be introduced to people with similar preferences. This data may remain private, or it may be shared with third parties. Personal details may or may not be encrypted. Data deletion policies may differ as well.
While most users may not be too concerned about their ethnicity or political beliefs becoming public, a user who is part of the LGBTQIA+ community, for example, could face risks if their personal information ever is leaked online.
So how can users select the dating app which best protects their privacy? Start from a vetted app marketplace such as the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, where apps are required to clearly list the information they collect from their users, how it might be shared, and how this data will be handled. It is best users evaluate app permissions themselves in order to judge what level of risk they are willing to take by downloading the app.
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In the Google Play Store, the top grossing dating apps as of November were Bumble, Tinder, and Hinge, respectively. They vary greatly in terms of the data collected from users.
A collage showing the data collected from users of popular dating apps in India | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal
In India, matrimony apps that help facilitate arranged marriages come with their own risks and challenges. Many app users looking for a life partner enter intimate details about not just themselves but their family members too, often including financial or health details as well. Since matrimony apps commonly come with caste and community filtering options, marginalised users may face the danger of discrimination or being seen as vulnerable targets for scams.
In the Google Play Store, the apps for Jeevansathi.com, Shaadi.com, and Bharat Matrimony have each been downloaded more than 10 million times.
A collage showing the data collected from users of popular matrimony apps | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal
From online to offline encounters
“Irrespective of a user’s dating preferences, securing digital devices is important and relying on technology such as biometric unlocking (fingerprint based or facial recognition) is likely to lead to more harm,” said Satnam Narang, senior staff research engineer at the exposure management company Tenable.
Narang encourages app users to opt for two-factor authentication [2FA] via a Google or Microsoft Authenticator, rather than SMS. In case messaging outside the dating app is necessary or partners need to text in absolute secrecy, he recommends using an end-to-end encrypted service such as Signal.
He also advises users to not reveal too many details about their personal life and to follow standard data security practices like setting a strong and unique password on each platform.
“If possible, using a service like Google Voice or others that can create a separate mobile number that can be shared is another viable alternative as they can be configured to ring your actual mobile device,” he suggests.
Google Voice is not available outside the U.S., so India residents may have to opt for a similar service or use another phone number.
One of the major red flags in dating or matrimony apps is when a romantic partner requests the other person to move out of the app to other platforms. Once this happens, the text exchanges can no longer be monitored by the dating app’s safety team, so filing complaints in case of a scam or safety incident will be complicated.
Narang noted a “really strong correlation” between users being pressured in this manner and them being scammed later.
“From a security perspective, the apps themselves are relatively secure, it is more so a by-product of the rise in romance and pig butchering scams that have made them a risk to end users. All of the apps mentioned [Tinder, Hinge, Bumble] offer reporting functionality and it is extremely important for users to leverage these tools to help identify and remove the scammers,” Narang says.
He warned that dating and matrimony apps should not require users’ home addresses to display their profile, but that they might collect general location information for app functionality.
In essence
When meeting a romantic partner for the first time, it is advisable to keep emergency contacts informed and have a trusted person check in via call in the middle of the date.
But long before putting in place measures for personal safety while dating, make sure your electronic devices are just as secure.
