Digital dating apps pose security risks to user privacy and personal information. Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities in dating apps to send malware disguised as app notifications, access GPS location history to find out where users live and spend time, or steal saved credit card information. Over 60% of popular dating apps analyzed contained medium to high security vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to spy through phone microphones and cameras or take control of user profiles. The document provides tips for using strong unique passwords, trusted Wi-Fi, and keeping personal information private to help protect users of dating apps.

1. Digital dating safety
Permission Fitness:
Check the app
permissions before
you commit.
Keep it Unique:
Use unique
passwords for
every online
account.
Trusted
Connections:
Use only trusted
Wi-Fi connections
when on your
dating app.
Punctual Patching:
Apply the latest
patches and
updates to your
apps.
Hackers can exploit dating apps by:
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What can you do to protect yourself?
IBM®
Security wanted to get to the heart of understanding what makes dating
apps tick, so our researchers analyzed 41 of the most popular dating apps. They
found that 63% of them have medium to severe security vulnerabilities,
putting the privacy of their users at risk.
Be Mysterious:Don't divulge too
much personal
information.
To learn more, visit www.securityintelligence.com/datingapps
Sending unauthorized
notifications infected
with malware that
appear to come directly
from the dating app.
Capturing a user’s current
and past GPS location infor-
mation to find out where a
user lives, works, or spends
most of their time.
Stealing a user’s credit card
information that is saved in
the phone’s mobile wallet.
Taking control of a
phone’s camera or
microphone to spy
and eavesdrop on
consumers or tap into
confidential business
meetings.
Gaining control of the dating
profile and impersonating the
user—changing profile informa-
tion, and communicating with
other app users; potentially
affecting the reputation of the
true user’s identity.