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.

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[–] 92 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (5 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.

Edit: NOICE!

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  • [–] 2 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    Okc deletes inactive accounts, so you're probably fine

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  • [–] 52 points 5 months ago* (8 children)

    Yeah, that's pretty sketchy. It's not just that the OkCupid users didn't consent, but that on top of 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.

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  • [–] 7 points 5 months ago (6 children)

    Oh shit ... OH SHIT!

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

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  • [–] 11 points 5 months ago (5 children)
  • [–] 7 points 5 months ago (4 children)
  • [–] 4 points 5 months ago (3 children)

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

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  • [–] 34 points 5 months ago (4 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

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  • [–] 25 points 5 months ago (4 children)

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

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  • [–] 2 points 5 months 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.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 months ago (2 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..

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  • [–] 24 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    an incident from 2014

    Jesus they fucked us a long time ago

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  • [–] 4 points 5 months ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 5 points 5 months ago

    The closing paragraph is pretty elucidating

    “The FTC enforces the privacy promises that companies make,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We will investigate, and where appropriate, take action against companies that promise to safeguard your data but fail to follow through—even if that means we have to enforce our Civil Investigative Demands in court.

    Translation: hire a lawyer to update your privacy policy to permit selling your user's data, and the FTC will let you do whatever you want

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  • [–] 10 points 5 months ago (3 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.

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  • [–] 5 points 5 months ago (2 children)

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

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

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  • [–] 5 points 5 months ago

    OkCupid, which was purchased by Match.com in 2011

    Ah, that explains why they went to shit

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  • [–] 4 points 5 months ago

    there goes your photos for making AI porn, gg

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  • [–] 4 points 5 months 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

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  • [–] 4 points 5 months 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

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  • [–] 2 points 5 months ago

    DOGE and Big Balls have this one covered.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 months ago (3 children)

    And now they can facially recognize all the gays.

    This will go well /s

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  • [–] 2 points 5 months ago (2 children)

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

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  • [–] 0 points 5 months ago (1 child)

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

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  • [–] 2 points 5 months 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.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 months 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...

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  • [+] -6 points 5 months 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.

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