While hundreds of users, including those in Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay, will be looking for a companion for Valentine’s Day, cybersecurity experts warn about privacy risks related with dating apps.
Experts from NordVPN said dating applications are among the most privacy-unfriendly apps.
Nearly 25 per cent of permissions to access device functions requested by dating apps are unrelated to their performance, NordVPN research revealed.
NordVPN cybersecurity advisor Adrianus Warmenhoven said dating apps are among the most eager to request access to the devices’ functions that are not needed for their performance.
“Collected data could be used against the user’s interests and lead to privacy issues that are way more serious than targeted ads,” he said.
“Users should always consider whether the app needs certain data to do its job before tapping ‘accept,’ even if the app is well-known and has a decent reputation.”
According to cybersecurity and privacy researchers, on average, one dating mobile app asks for almost 23 device permissions, including access to your location or photos and videos.
To protect privacy on dating apps, residents should; download from official stores, read the app’s privacy policy, learn about data permissions, don’t automatically sign in with social network accounts and limit location permissions.
Residents are also encouraged to delete apps they don’t use.
