OkCupid Facial Recognition Scandal Resolved with Settlement

The Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with OkCupid and its parent company Match Group over allegations that they deceived millions of users by sharing their photos with a facial recognition company without consent. Clarifai, a facial recognition firm, accessed nearly three million user photos, along with demographic data, in 2014 after making contact with an OkCupid founder. The settlement promises the companies will not misrepresent themselves on this point in the future, but does not admit to wrongdoing. The incident occurred when Clarifai reached out to one of OkCupid’s founders in 2014, and was granted access to user photos alongside demographic data about users. This action contravened OkCupid’s stated policy of not sharing user images with third-party companies. The FTC has now taken steps to ensure compliance with relevant regulations by striking a resolution that will prevent the companies from making similar misrepresentations in the future.