Online Dating Privacy: Decide What to Share Before Building a Profile

Consumer explainer | Dating

A dating profile can reveal more than its owner intends. Before uploading photos or a biography, consider how individual details combine to identify your workplace, regular locations, or other accounts.

The FTC warns that romance scammers use online relationships to seek money or financial information. Privacy choices cannot eliminate that risk, but they can reduce what an unfamiliar contact learns before you have reason to trust them.

Review the app's profile visibility and location settings. Choose photos deliberately, check backgrounds for identifying details, and avoid placing private contact information in a public biography. Consider whether linking another social account exposes more than the app needs.

Take time with requests to move conversations elsewhere or share sensitive material. Use the platform's reporting and blocking tools when necessary. Our suggested approach is to share in stages and revisit the settings as your circumstances change, rather than treating registration as a one-time privacy decision.

Source: FTC guidance on romance scams.