Dating App Tinder 'Very Briefly' Exposed User Location Data

Even though the location data wasn't shown in the app itself, a "simple hack" could reveal sensitive information about the people recommended by Tinder, according to Quartz.

Data files sent to each user's phone contained info about their most recent location, and Facebook ID, which Tinder uses to properly identify someone by their first name.

"We had a very, very, very brief security flaw that we patched up very quickly,” Tinder CEO Sean Rad said told Quartz. “We were not exposing any information that can harm any of our users or put our users in jeopardy.”

Tinder requires you to share your location so it can match you with people close by. But it only saves your most recent location while using the app. At least two developers, including Chin tan Parikh, notified Tinder of the issue after examining its code.

Since launching last fall, Tinder has generated over 75 million matches and at least 50 couples have gotten engaged because of it.

We have reached out to Rad for comment and will update this story when we hear back.