Bumble, Grindr,
In separate letters Thursday to the companies, the subcommittee is seeking information on users' ages, procedures for verifying ages, and any complaints about assaults, rape or the use of the services by minors. It is also asking for the services' privacy policies and details on what users see when they review and agree to the policies. It also seeks information on what data is collected on people, including sexual orientation, drug use and political views.
Although the minimum age for using internet services is typically 13 in the
“Our concern about the underage use of dating apps is heightened by reports that many popular free dating apps permit registered sex offenders to use them, while the paid versions of these same apps screen out registered sex offenders,” Rep.
Match added that the national sex offender registry needs to be updated so that perpetrators' digital footprints can be tracked and blocked by social media and dating services.
Besides safety issues, the investigation also seeks to address concerns about data the services request to make matches. Such information may include sexual orientation, gender identity, political views, and drug, alcohol and tobacco use.
The subcommittee cited a report by a Norwegian consumer group this month that found that dating apps including Grindr, OkCupid and Tinder leak personal information to advertising tech companies in possible violation of European data privacy laws.
In response to that report, Match had said that it sha res information with third parties only when it is “deemed necessary to operate its platform” with third party apps. The company said it considers the practice in line with all European and
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