Nearly a third of people share their location on dating apps

Dating apps have seen a surge in users in recent years as people use online platforms to meet potential partners. But often, cybercriminals present themselves as possible matches for nefarious reasons, putting the identity and safety of many online daters at risk.

To uncover the potential consequences of using dating apps, TechRobot analyzed 180 profiles on Bumble, Tinder and Hinge to reveal the amount of information people share on their dating profiles.

• Online daters share the most information about Bumble (37%) with 55% of profiles sharing where they live.

• 100% of women share enough information on their dating profiles for their social media accounts to be found, increasing their chances of catfishing attempts.

• 28% of homosexual profiles share their place of residence compared to only 19% of heterosexual profiles, increasing the risk of blackmail and stalking.

Bumble users share enough information for strangers to get deep insight into their lives online and offline

TechRobot’s study found that people share the most personal information on their Bumble profiles. 98% share photos of themselves and all profiles share their first name and live location and there is no option to hide this information. 90% of all Bumble profiles also share personal interests and hobbies, 55% share where they live, 28% share job titles, and 20% of Bumble profiles also share their Instagram ID. That’s more than enough information for someone to have insight into what online daters are doing throughout their day and where they are, increasing the risk of harassment.

Women share 33% of all possible data points on their dating profiles – more information than their male counterparts

The research also found that women share an average of 33% of possible data points on Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, compared to 31% for men. Men are more likely to share information about their status, level of education and professional life: 39% of men share their job title, 36% the languages ​​they speak, 19% their employer and 33% their level of education. Women, on the other hand, tend to share information that makes them more physically attractive – 98% share their age, 96% share photos of how they look, and 26% share their Instagram handle. With women sharing more information about their physical appearance, the risk of them posing as catfish is exacerbated, and the information men share about their position and employer means they are more likely to be victims of blackmail attempts. Cybercriminals often offer incentives for monetary gain and use sensitive information such as an individual’s workplace to take advantage of them.

Lesbian women share 33% of all possible data points on their dating profiles, most of all sexualities searched

By comparing dating profiles based on sexuality, TechRobot found that gay online daters are more likely to share sensitive information with potential matches than heterosexual users. 28% of gay profiles share where they live compared to only 19% of heterosexual profiles, and 98% of lesbian and gay dating profiles share their appearance, compared to 93% of straight profiles. Lesbian women were also found to share the most information on their profiles of any group studied and they share the most on Bumble – 42% of all possible data points. 44% of lesbian profiles share their place of residence, and 36% their job title. Collectively, this means that lesbian women are providing strangers on dating apps with enormous insight into their personal lives, which could increase their risk of being stalked or even harassed.

Using different photos on social media profiles can reduce the vulnerability of online daters

Users can take steps to protect their privacy and security when dating online. Lasse Walstad recommends using single pictures on dating profiles – “Using reverse image search on Google, people will be able to discover your social accounts and all the other places your photos are posted, giving them a potential access to a large amount of personal information. Using images that you have not used on your other social accounts will reduce the chances that your other accounts, such as Instagram and Facebook, will be less likely to This will reduce the chances of online daters being caught and victimized by stalking crimes.

While the amount of personal information we share on our dating profiles depends on application, gender, and sexual orientation, all profiles expose enough information to offer strangers considerable insight into their lives. This endangers the identity and safety of online daters and exacerbates their chances of falling victim to crimes such as blackmail, stalking, catfishing or stalking.

You can view the full study here.