OkCupid Sold Three Million Photos and Location Data Without Asking: Founders Profit From Breach
OkCupid provided nearly three million user photos and location data to a third party, according to an FTC finding. This data transfer allegedly occurred without explicit user consent or formal restrictions.
The conversation dug into systemic failure. Many users believe corporate terms and conditions are meaningless roadblocks, with some suggesting that 'Terms and conditions do not apply to big american tech if government interests are involved.' Specific accusations hit the founders: 'tal' noted the founders were financially invested in the data recipient, implying a payout mechanism rather than a service benefit. Meanwhile, MrSulu pushed for structural solutions, demanding 'structured data rating systems like in the UK food industry.'
The clear consensus is that the data sharing was deeply unethical and lacked user authorization. The central fault line remains the system itself: whether accountability can ever exist when tech giants operate under legal ambiguity, or if systemic regulation is the only real answer.
Key Points
Data sharing was performed without explicit user consent.
The core agreement is that OkCupid moved three million photos and location records without telling users or getting permission.
The founders profited directly from the data leak.
'tal' asserted the founders' financial investments in the data recipient suggest personal enrichment over corporate duty.
Legal agreements offer no real protection against corporate misconduct.
'quick_snail' pointed out that updating privacy policies allows companies to legally sidestep accountability by claiming consent.
The fix requires government-level structural regulation.
MrSulu argued for adopting rating systems for online providers, drawing a parallel to UK food hygiene standards.
The underlying business model of dating apps is flawed.
'DasRav' claimed the incident confirms dating platforms are not inherently designed to facilitate relationships.
Source Discussions (3)
This report was synthesized from the following Lemmy discussions, ranked by community score.