Overview
- the FTC, which filed a complaint and a stipulated final order Monday in federal court in Dallas, said it reached a settlement with OkCupid, Humor Rainbow, and Match Group Americas
- the agency says that in 2014 OkCupid let an unrelated firm access nearly three million user photos plus location and demographic data without notice or opt-out, a firm that news outlets identify as AI company Clarifai
- the FTC alleges OkCupid and Match later denied involvement when a news story surfaced the datasets and tried to obstruct the investigation by hindering a civil investigative demand
- the settlement would bar false claims about how the companies collect, use, disclose, delete, or protect personal data and how their privacy controls work, following a 2–0 Commission vote and pending court approval
- there is no monetary penalty, the companies deny wrongdoing and say they strengthened privacy practices, and reporting notes the order does not address whether Clarifai still holds or used the images to train its models