this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2026
303 points (99.0% liked)

Privacy

9573 readers
906 users here now

A community for Lemmy users interested in privacy

Rules:

  1. Be civil
  2. No spam posting
  3. Keep posts on-topic
  4. No trolling

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

The FTC said that “OkCupid provided the third party with access to nearly three million OkCupid user photos as well as location and other information without placing any formal or contractual restrictions on how the information could be used.” OkCupid “did not inform consumers or give them the chance to opt out of such sharing,” the FTC said.

top 43 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 59 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

When a threat actor steals your data from a company they're obligated to tell you. When a company sells your data, you find out like this.

I haven't used OKC in over 10 years. Am I affected? Is it new accounts? Wtf.

[–] moistclump@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago

You find out like this… if you manage to find out at all. I’m not sure these companies are thinking twice about it.

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Me too and haven't used it in 13 years.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 0 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Okc deletes inactive accounts, so you're probably fine

Edit: article says incident was in 2014, so if you were active at that time, you're probably fucked

[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 weeks ago

Hahaha! Companies keep data. FB probably has all my data from before I wiped my accounts in 2017. I am not hopeful that any company will do the right thing.

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

Sweet summer child...

[–] tal@lemmy.today 29 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Yeah, that's pretty sketchy. It's not just that they didn't consent, but that it's questionable that they were even acting in OkCupid's interests, which they are supposed to be doing.

In September 2014, the CEO of Clarifai, Inc. e-mailed one of OkCupid’s founders requesting that Humor Rainbow give Clarifai, Inc. (i.e., the Data Recipient) access to large datasets of OkCupid photos. Despite not having any business relationship with Humor Rainbow, the Data Recipient sought Humor Rainbow’s assistance because each of OkCupid’s founders, including Humor Rainbow’s President and Match Group, LLC’s CEO, were financially invested in the Data Recipient.

In response to this request, Humor Rainbow gave the Data Recipient access to nearly three million OkCupid user photos. Humor Rainbow’s President and Chief Technology Officer were directly involved in facilitating the data transfer. In addition to user photos, Humor Rainbow shared other personal data with the Data Recipient, including each user’s demographic and location information.

Humor Rainbow never executed a formal agreement or set forth restrictions governing the Data Recipient’s access to, or use of, the OkCupid user data. The Data Recipient did not pay for the data and never provided any services to Humor Rainbow or on behalf of OkCupid.

That is, that sounds like they were basically using substantial amounts of company assets to benefit themselves rather than the company that they were responsible to.

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh shit ... OH SHIT!

... I've lost my surprise picachu pic...

[–] dalekcaan@feddit.nl 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] moakley@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Do you have one with fewer pixels? I had a big breakfast.

[–] moistclump@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

Why’s this feel illegal. Is this illegal?

[–] sexy_peach@feddit.org 21 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I want to see the world where all the data broker and seller types and companies are prosecuted and get hard punishments. Some need to be shut down, others restructured so they can't do it again, some CEOs probably need to be jailed

[–] Thorned_Rose@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That'll never happen as long as politicians still get ~~bribes~~ lobby money ablnd governments/law enforcement buy data to circumvent legal protections like warrants.

[–] sexy_peach@feddit.org 7 points 2 weeks ago

Never say never but yes, most bad guys in history didn't get punished

[–] end_stage_ligma@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Start training. Every time I do lat pulldowns I imagine I am resetting the guillotine for the next corpocunt.

[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

So metal I love it.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Just another reason why you don't provide online platforms with such pictures.

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

Indeed, we need a movement to withdraw from the internet with all of our personal details, and to reject it entirely if the government forces it.

I am serious, we didn't have the internet when I was growing up, and everything worked better than now. We were happier too. The internet has proven to be cancer on society.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

For Facebook, sure

But for a dating profile, if you don't provide a photo of your face, you're not gonna get any dates..

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Have you tried dating in the real world? There is no need to upload your face...

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 2 points 2 weeks ago

I have. 99% of them are a "no" within 5 minutes.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

an incident from 2014

Jesus they fucked us a long time ago

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago

Have they continued to do so? Ha ha, joking, of course they have, this is just what was leaked or whatever. Fucking Terms of Service, most of that used to be thrown out of court. But since the federalist society fucked our courts they now do, have long done, only totally official around idk 2010's or so when scotus endorsed employers and retailers making all employees or purchasers waive their rights to pursue redress in court to be employed or buy a product.

[–] MrSulu@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Again, another reason not to trust financial companies with our information. Somewhat similarly, in the UK restaurants are given food hygiene rating out of 5, updated frequently. You know where it's safer to eat. We desperately need the same structured system for online providers that hold information.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Again, another reason not to trust financial companies with our information.

OkCupid isn't a financial company. They're a dating service.

[–] MrSulu@lemmy.ml -1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah, they're good advertisers but run for finance.

[–] titanicx@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 weeks ago

That's all idiotic statement.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 5 points 2 weeks ago

OkCupid, which was purchased by Match.com in 2011

Ah, that explains why they went to shit

[–] obey@lemmy.wtf 4 points 2 weeks ago

I guess similar goes with all AI gpt chats even if you delete or tick box not to improve models. I think they profile everything and connect to your virtual persona which creates amazing source of knowledge how to sell shit to you via ads. Or eventually enforce some sort of thought police. Terms and conditions do not apply to big american tech if government interests are involved

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 weeks ago

DOGE and Big Balls have this one covered.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The FTC said the data-sharing violated the OkCupid privacy policy,
...
OkCupid spokesperson said in a statement provided to Ars today. “The alleged conduct at issue does not reflect how OkCupid operates today. Over the years, we have further strengthened our privacy practices and data governance to ensure we meet the expectations of our users.”

Translation: we updated our privacy policy to indicate that we can sell our user's data to third parties, so now we can fuck our users without breaking laws

[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 2 points 2 weeks ago

there goes your photos for making AI porn, gg

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 points 2 weeks ago

Well, I guess it's good they deleted my account.

I was pretty pissed after all the work I had put into my account, only to find they purged old inactive accounts after some years.

Now I'm less pissed...

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl -1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And now they can facially recognize all the gays.

This will go well /s

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Ha, everyone. Not the gays in particular, everyone.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl -1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

True, but their customers include military. So they'll probably be more focused on harming queer folks

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

Fascists need lots of scapegoats for their piss poor handling of everything. This affects everyone, you better believe it, and these clowns sincerely want to target white leftists more than anything.

[–] elucubra@sopuli.xyz -4 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Well, it's not like you put your face in there to be hidden. Your photos are explicitely public. They just sold them an easier way for collecting the pics, but a simple scraper would have collected (and probably many are right now) the images.

[–] mimavox@piefed.social 5 points 2 weeks ago

I don't think they're considered public if you have to log in to see them.

[–] basilisa@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 weeks ago

This take is so fucking dumb I'm choosing to believe this is an April fools joke. 

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 points 2 weeks ago

Clearwater AI says yes