Why it matters
Online dating is completely normal. But what you share with a dating service is some of the most private information you have: who you are attracted to, where you are, photos, messages and what you hope for.
When that information gets out, it is not just a technical problem. It can affect your life.
Imagine this
You live in a small town. You are curious, maybe about something new, maybe about someone other than who everyone assumes. You create a dating profile because it feels safer than asking around.
Then the service leaks. Your name, email address and profile are suddenly out there. Someone searches, someone shares, and you no longer decide who knows what.
This is an imagined example. But it has happened, at scale.
It has happened before
Ashley Madison, 2015. The breach affected more than 30 million accounts. Toronto police said criminals used the information to extort people, and that it affected families, children and spouses around the world. Police also mentioned two unconfirmed suicides linked to the leak. Five years later, in 2020, former users received new personalised threats demanding bitcoin not to contact their family and employer.
Sources: CTV News · Dark Reading
Jack'd, 2018–2019. Private photos, including nude photos, were openly accessible for a year after management was warned. The New York Attorney General made the company pay $240,000.
Source: New York State Attorney General
Grindr and HIV status. Grindr shared users' HIV status with other companies. In Norway, the Data Protection Authority fined Grindr NOK 65 million for sharing data without valid consent, and Oslo District Court upheld the fine in 2024.
Location down to two metres. Researchers at KU Leuven showed that several large apps revealed where users were to within a couple of metres. The apps fixed the issues after being notified.
Source: TechCrunch
Data that is sold, not stolen. In 2021, a senior Catholic priest in the US resigned after a website bought commercially available location data from a dating app and linked it to him. There was no hacking. The data was for sale.
Source: PinkNews
Why we rate safety
You cannot tell from a dating app how it looks after your information. So we collect what is documented: breaches, fines and settlements, with sources and dates. No opinions, no rumours.
A high score means we have found no documented problems. It does not mean nothing can ever happen.
What you can do yourself
- Use a separate email address for dating, not your work address.
- Use a unique password and turn on two-step login where available.
- Be careful with photos that show your face together with your home, workplace or car.
- Turn off precise location in the app if you can.
- Never share money or account numbers with someone you only know online.
- Delete your account completely when you are done, not just the app.