OkCupid settles FTC case over unauthorized sharing of user photos with facial recognition firm
OkCupid and Match Group settled Federal Trade Commission allegations that they shared nearly 3 million user photos and personal data with facial recognition company Clarifai in 2014 without user consent, violating their own privacy policies. The settlement requires the companies to stop misrepresenting their data sharing practices but imposes no financial penalties and does not require them to admit wrongdoing.
What happened
After facial recognition company Clarifai reached out to one of OkCupid's founders in 2014, OkCupid gave Clarifai access to nearly three million user photos alongside demographic and location data.
OkCupid and Match later tried to obscure their relationship with Clarifai when The New York Times reached out about it for a story, according to the FTC complaint.
Reported impact
The data sharing violated OkCupid's own privacy policy because it did not give users a chance to opt out of their data being shared.
Governance controls
The settlement requires OkCupid and Match Group to stop misrepresenting their data collection and sharing policies in the future and to submit to compliance monitoring.
The settlement does not impose financial penalties or require the companies to admit wrongdoing.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.