OkCupid Settles FTC Claims Over Sharing User Photos Without Consent
Dating app OkCupid has agreed to settle claims from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it deceived millions of users by sharing their photos with a third-party facial recognition company without their consent. This move has significant implications for users who trust online platforms to protect their personal data.
The FTC complaint states that OkCupid gave facial recognition company Clarifai access to nearly three million user photos in 2014, alongside demographic and location data about users. This access violated OkCupid's own privacy policy, which stated that users' photos would not be shared. OkCupid and its parent company, Match Group, did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, but instead promised not to make similar alleged misrepresentations in the future.
The settlement does not impose penalties on OkCupid or Match, but the companies promise not to misrepresent their data collection and sharing policies in the future. They will also submit to compliance monitoring, which could subject them to further action if they're found to violate the order.
Christopher Mufarrige, FTC consumer protection bureau director, said in a statement that the settlement shows the FTC enforces the privacy promises that companies make. OkCupid did not immediately provide a comment attributable to a named spokesperson, while Match and Clarifai did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
When Christopher Mufarrige says the FTC enforces the privacy promises that companies make, that means accountability is now a non-negotiable part of online business operations. This development has far-reaching implications for companies that rely on user trust, and it's only a matter of time before more companies are held to similar standards.
