Shady Data Brokers Are Selling Online Dating Profiles by the Millions

MOTHERBOARD – Nov 14 – Tactical Tech and artist Joana Moll bought one million dating profiles for $153 from the data broker USDate. The profiles came from numerous dating sites including Match, Tinder, Plenty of Fish, and OkCupid. The datasets included usernames, email addresses, gender, age, sexual orientation, interests, profession, as well as detailed physical and personality traits and 5M photos. USDate claims on its website that the profiles it's selling are "genuine and that the profiles were created and belong to real people actively dating today and looking for partners." Most of the dating app companies that Moll contacted to comment on the practice of selling users' data to third parties didn't respond, she said. USDate did speak with her, and told her it was completely legal. In the company's frequently asked questions section on its website, it states that it sells "100% legal dating profiles as we have permission from the owners. Selling fake profiles is illegal because generated fake profiles use real people's photos without their permission."