How public is my private life? Privacy in online dating

Camille Cobb, Tadayoshi Kohno

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Online dating services let users expand their dating pool beyond their social network and specify important characteristics of potential partners. To assess compatibility, users share personal information — e.g., identifying details or sensitive opinions about sexual preferences or worldviews — in profiles or in one-on-one communication. Thus, participating in online dating poses inherent privacy risks. How people reason about these privacy risks in modern online dating ecosystems has not been extensively studied. We present the results of a survey we designed to examine privacy-related risks, practices, and expectations of people who use or have used online dating, then delve deeper using semi-structured interviews. We additionally analyzed 400 Tinder profiles to explore how these issues manifest in practice. Our results reveal tensions between privacy and competing user values and goals, and we demonstrate how these results can inform future designs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication26th International World Wide Web Conference, WWW 2017
PublisherInternational World Wide Web Conferences Steering Committee
Pages1231-1240
Number of pages10
ISBN (Print)9781450349130
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017
Externally publishedYes
Event26th International World Wide Web Conference, WWW 2017 - Perth, Australia
Duration: Apr 3 2017Apr 7 2017

Publication series

Name26th International World Wide Web Conference, WWW 2017

Other

Other26th International World Wide Web Conference, WWW 2017
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CityPerth
Period4/3/174/7/17

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Software
  • Computer Networks and Communications

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