A new report released today by the Norwegian Consumer Council accuses targeted advertising of being “out of control” and specifically names three popular dating apps —Tinder, OkCupid and Grindr — as apps that are putting user privacy at risk.
All three apps are accused of sharing sensitive information. Tinder and Grindr in particular were found to be sharing users GPS location and sexual preferences, according to Engadget.
Collecting this particular set of information violates European Union data protection laws prohibiting the collection of data on sexual orientation, religion, ethnic background and other sensitive subjects without user consent, according to The New York Times.
Sharing information about a users sexuality may seem harmless but in countries that outlaw homosexuality, the data tracking and sharing is not merely a violation of privacy — it is an existential threat.
The report also found OkCupid was sharing information about users ethnicities, answers to questions regarding drug use and political views, Engadget reports.
The Twitter-owned advertising company MoPub was specifically called out by the report for serving as an information middle man, selling the information it received to more companies and making it impossible for users to know where their data is going, according to Engadget.
New laws in the United States are attempting to prevent the selling of private data without prior consent, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which will be enforceable in the state July 1 of this year.
The CCPA requires companies that trade user data to give users a “Do Not Sell My Data” option. Companies like Grindr are challenging the laws, saying that by using the app and agreeing to its terms and conditions consumers are “directing them to disclose” their personal data, the Times reports.
This is only the latest controversy surrounding social apps and data. Facebook sold the data of 87 million users to advertising company Cambridge Analytica in 2018, according to NBC.