## OkCupid Settles FTC Claims Over Sharing Millions of User Photos with Facial Recognition Firm
The dating app OkCupid has settled with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations it secretly shared millions of user photos with a third-party facial recognition company. The FTC complaint claims OkCupid provided facial recognition firm Clarifai access to nearly three million user photos, alongside demographic and location data, without user consent. This access began in 2014 after Clarifai contacted an OkCupid founder, and the FTC alleges the data sharing violated user privacy and constituted deception.

As part of the settlement, OkCupid and its parent company, Match Group, did not admit to any wrongdoing. However, they have agreed to a binding order prohibiting them from making similar alleged misrepresentations about data practices in the future. The case highlights the opaque data-sharing relationships between consumer apps and AI technology vendors, where sensitive biometric data can be transferred without clear user knowledge or consent.

The settlement places OkCupid and the broader online dating industry under heightened regulatory scrutiny regarding biometric privacy. It signals the FTC's continued focus on holding platforms accountable for how they handle user data, particularly when shared with external AI and analytics firms. For users, it underscores the risk that personal photos uploaded to a dating profile could be repurposed for facial recognition training or other undisclosed commercial purposes.
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- **Source**: The Verge
- **Sector**: The Lab
- **Tags**: FTC, Facial Recognition, Data Privacy, Settlement, Biometric Data
- **Credibility**: unverified
- **Published**: 2026-03-31 14:56:53
- **ID**: 43505
- **URL**: https://whisperx.ai/en/intel/43505