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It's Valentine's Day—and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) is worried that the dating app Tinder is spreading tales about your love life.
If you're swiping via a shared Wi-Fi network, he warns, your attempts to get some action could be vulnerable to hacking.
A new report from Tel Aviv-based security firm Checkmarx found that because the app doesn't encrypt its data, hackers have the ability to break into your profile and see in real-time what you are doing. They can also inject images—of themselves or someone else—and viruses into your account.
Wyden sent a letter to Tinder's CEO, Greg Blatt today, urging the app to "swipe right on user privacy and security."
Wyden's concern is that people who use Tinder while in line getting coffee, or "reading" at public libraries, or "studying" at universities are vulnerable to having intimate details of their dating experiences hacked.
"Tinder can easily enhance privacy to its users by encrypting all data transmitted between its app and servers," Wyden writes, "and padding sensitive transactions to thwart snooping. These common-sense security fixes would provide Tinder users with the level of security and privacy they expect."
It's unclear if Tinder is working to fix the privacy issues (the company didn't respond to WW's request for comment).
But a spokesperson told Market Watch recently, "We take the security and privacy of our users seriously. We employ a network of tools and systems to protect the integrity of our platform."
For now, if you're swiping on V-day you should probably stay home where the Wi-Fi is safe. That or you could delete the app, wander someplace public and opt for the long-forgotten face-to-face.
No shame either way.
