In the News
Another dating app is suffering from a data mishap. In Jewish dating app JCrush exposed user data and private messages, Zack Whittaker at Tech Crunch discusses how user account information, as well as personal messages between users, were stored without encryption at the dating site JCrush. However, Whittaker explains that the company is not aware of any malicious attacker accessing the exposed information.
Our Take
As with any social media, messaging, or dating service, the reality of privacy is a point of contention in our current society. While many of these apps and accounts claim to prioritize user privacy and data security, we have seen time and time again that data breaches, exposures, and misuse are rampant. To keep information about yourself and your private conversation private, remember that your privacy is in your own hands. Selectively choosing how much information you input into an account profile, refraining from adding financial payment information into all of your accounts, and being mindful of the fact that your data will be stored along with the data of thousands of others can help ensure that if a platform you use suffers a data exposure, you are only minimally impacted.
Recommendations
How can you maintain your privacy on messaging and dating apps?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Use safe password practices, and take advantage of Multi-factor Authentication where possible
- Refrain from sharing highly sensitive information through messaging apps or over the phone
- Save copies of important conservations on an external hard drive or other storage method