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Primary Location

United States

Website

https://www.tinder.com

About

Tinder is a location-based social search mobile app geared towards dating and hook-up culture.

Ownership

Match Group (a division of IAC/InterActiveCorp) BusinessInsider, 01; CrunchBase, 01

Documentation

Not public

Products and Services

It is note entirely clear what the Tinder Analytics SDK does. Some news outlets have published details about Tinder analytical practices, often in conjunction with third parties. Minor press about Tinder and "swiping right" offers clues:

"Earlier this year, to combat this collection of overzealous swipers, the company set a limit on the number of right swipes users could make daily. Then it rounded up profiles of the most prolific right-swipers and watched what happened. Would they get upset and leave? Would they stop using for a while and lick their wounds? Or would they realize the error in their ways and be a little more discriminating in suggesting possible hookups?" Fortune, 01

Privacy Policy

The privacy policy for the Tinder Analytics SDK tracker is not public. In September 2017, French journalist Judith Duportail published details about her data request from Tinder which revealed that Tinder had 800 pages of information about her. The profile was created over four years of use, and included information about her Facebook "likes", links to (now-deleted) Instagram photos, her education, the age-rank of men she was interested in, number of Facebook friends, the when and where of every one of her Tinder match conversations, and more The Guardian, 01.

General Tinder Privacy Policy

PII: Tinder collects Personal Information (Personally Identifiable Information), including Sensitive Data, and other information. Sensitive Data includes "information, comments or content (e.g. photographs, video, profile, lifestyle) that you optionally provide that may reveal your ethnic origin, nationality, religion and/or sexual orientation". Users consent to the "collection, use, and disclosure of Sensitive Data" in accordance with the law.

Geolocation: Tinder states "We may also collect your geolocation information with your consent. We may collect this information through a website, mobile application, or other online services... the information may be sent to servers located in the United States and countries around the world".

Collection of data through Facebook: By registering with Tinder, you authorize Tinder to access certain Facebokk information, such as "your public Facebook profile (consistent with your privacy settings in Facebook), your email address, interests, likes, gender, birthday, education history, relationship interests, current city, photos, personal description, friend list, and information about and photos of your Facebook friends who might be common Facebook friends with other Tinder users".

Collection of conversations: "If you chat with other Tinder users, you provide us the content of your chats".

Third Party data collection: "Tinder is part of The Match Group family of businesses, which as of the date of this policy includes websites and apps such as OurTime.com, BlackPeopleMeet.com, OkCupid, Twoo, POF, Meetic, LoveScout24, Match and ParPerfeito. We may obtain both personal and non-personal information about you from other Match businesses, business partners and other third parties."

Technologies used to collect data:

When visiting Tinder's Service, you automatically provide Tinder with your "IP address, device ID and type, your browser type and language, the operating system used by your device, access times, your mobile device’s geographic location while our application is actively running, and the referring website address."
Cookies are used track users. They state, "If we advertise, we (or third parties) may use certain data collected on our Service to show you Tinder advertisements on other sites or applications".
Pixel tags (aka, web beacons or clear GIFs) are used in web pages, ads, and emails. These are used to access cookies and track user activities.
Mobile device IDs are used to store your preferences and track your use of the Tinder app.
- "Ad companies also use device IDs or Advertising IDs to track your use of the app, track the number of ads displayed, measure ad performance and display ads that are more relevant to you. Analytics companies use device IDs to track information about app usage."

Third Party data collecting: "We may allow service providers, advertising companies and ad networks, and other third parties to display advertisements on our Service and elsewhere. These companies may use tracking technologies, such as cookies or web beacons, to collect information about users who view or interact with their advertisements. We do not provide any non-masked or non-obscured personal information to third parties."

Data Sharing with Third Parties: Tinder may share information with:

Service providers: Third parties that perform services on behalf of Tinder may include "fulfilling orders, providing customer service and marketing assistance, performing business and sales analysis, ad tracking and analytics, member screenings, supporting our Service functionality, and supporting contests, sweepstakes, surveys and other features offered through our Service. These service providers may have access to personal information needed to perform their functions but are not permitted to share or use such information for any other purposes."
Other Match Group businesses: Including "Match.com, OkCupid, OurTime.com, BlackPeopleMeet.com, Twoo, Meetic, POF, LoveScout24, ParPerfeito and others... subject to your consent where required under applicable law."
Other situations: Some other situations include actions in response to a subpeona or similar investigative demand; when Tinder believes it is appropriate in connection with illegal activity; and "In connection with a substantial corporate transaction, such as the sale of our business, a divestiture, merger, consolidation, or asset sale, or in the unlikely event of bankruptcy".

Aggregated and non-personal Information: Tinder states, "We may use and share non-personal information we collect under any of the above circumstances. We may also share it with other Match Group companies and third parties to develop and deliver targeted advertising on our Service and on websites or applications of third parties, and to analyze and report on advertising you see. We may combine non-personal information we collect with additional non-personal information collected from other sources. We also may share aggregated, non-personal information, or personal information in hashed, non-human readable form, with third parties, including advisors, advertisers and investors, for the purpose of conducting general business analysis, advertising, marketing, or other business purposes. For example, we may engage a data provider who may collect web log data from you (including IP address and information about your browser or operating system), or place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser to enable you to receive customized ads or content. The cookies may reﬂect de-identified demographic or other data linked to data you voluntarily have submitted to us (such as your email address), that we may share with a data provider solely in hashed, non-human readable form. We may also share your geolocation information in de-identified form with Match Group companies and third parties for the above purposes."

Opt-Out (geolocation: "To opt out of the sharing of your geolocation information, please discontinue use of the Tinder application".

Opt-Out (third party): Some "third-party advertising companies may be advertising networks that are members of the Network Advertising Initiative, which offers a single location to opt out of ad targeting from member companies (www.networkadvertising.org). Opting out will not decrease the number of advertisements you see. To opt-out of cookies that may be set by third party data or advertising partners, please go to http://www.aboutads.info/choices".

Security: Tinder states that "although we take steps to secure your information, we do not promise, and you should not expect, that your personal information, chats, or other communications will always remain secure"

Data Retention: Tinder states, "We keep your information only as long as we need it for legitimate business purposes and as permitted by applicable legal requirements. If you close your account, we will retain certain data for analytical purposes and recordkeeping integrity, as well as to prevent fraud, enforce our Terms of Use, take actions we deem necessary to protect the integrity of our Service or our users, or take other actions otherwise permitted by law. In addition, if certain information has already been provided to third parties as described in this Privacy Policy, retention of that information will be subject to those third parties’ policies."

Jurisdictional issues: Tinder states, "we cannot always know where personal information may be accessed or processed. While our primary data centers are in the United States, we may transfer personal information or other information to our offices outside of the United States. In addition, we may employ other companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. If we disclose personal information to a third party or to our employees outside of the United States, we will seek assurances that any information we may provide to them is safeguarded adequately and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the requirements of applicable privacy laws.

If you are visiting from the European Union or other regions with laws governing data collection and use, please note that you are agreeing to the transfer of your personal data, including sensitive data, by Tinder from your region to countries which do not have data protection laws that provide the same level of protection that exists in countries in the European Economic Area, including the United States. By providing your personal information, you consent to any transfer and processing in accordance with this Policy" Tinder, 01.

Relationships

Match Group businesses: Match.com / OkCupid / OurTime.com / BlackPeopleMeet.com / Twoo / Meetic / POF / LoveScout24 / ParPerfeito Tinder, 01

Details

Usage requirements: Tinder users are required to have a Facebook account and turn on loction-based tracking in order to use the app. Tinder, 01

Analytics: Tinder uses Spotify and Facebook data to match users Tech Times, 01

References

BusinessInsider, 01. http://www.businessinsider.com/match-the-company-that-owns-tinder-just-filed-to-go-public-2015-10
CrunchBase, 01. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/match-group
Fortune, 01. http://fortune.com/2015/09/29/tinder-interana-analytics/
Tech Times, 01. http://www.techtimes.com/articles/199964/20170302/tinder-users-finding-more-matches-thanks-spotify-popular-anthems-include.htm
The Guardian, 01. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/26/tinder-personal-data-dating-app-messages-hacked-sold
Tinder, 01. https://www.gotinder.com/privacy

External Links

Wikipedia (Tinder app): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinder_(app))

Tinder Analytics