Tinder owner fined €11 million for not giving users their full personal data
Ireland's privacy regulator has fined Tinder owner Match Group €11 million, saying the dating app failed to give users a full copy of their personal data when they requested it.
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) said on Friday that the 'Download My Data' tool Tinder provides to users who want to download their personal data is not up to standard.
The DPC launched its inquiry in January 2020, focusing on whether Tinder's 'Download My Data' tool complied with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
In its decision announced on Friday, the DPC said the tool failed to provide users with all of their personal data. Certain categories of information were omitted, and in some cases users were given only a summary of their data.
The regulator said the tool did not meet the GDPR's requirements, under which people have a right of access to the personal data a company holds about them.
Deputy Commissioner at the Irish DPC Graham Doyle said automated access tools can be a useful and efficient way to give people access to their personal data, but they must be fair and transparent to individuals regarding the extent of the data provided.
Match Group has been fined €11 million, issued with a reprimand, and ordered to bring its data processing into compliance with the GDPR within three months.
A Match Group spokesperson said the company will appeal, saying Tinder engaged with the DPC throughout the investigation and that the company stands behind the privacy protections it has built for its users.
