OkCupid User Data Used to Train Facial Recognition AI
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a complaint revealing that dating platform OkCupid shared vast amounts of user data with artificial intelligence company Clarifai. According to the filing, the data transfer took place without a formal commercial agreement or clear user consent.
The Data Transfer
In September 2014, the CEO of Clarifai allegedly requested access to large datasets of photos from one of OkCupid’s founders. The request was granted due to the founders' financial investments in the AI startup. Consequently, Humor Rainbow—the parent company of OkCupid—provided Clarifai with access to approximately three million user photos.
Along with the images, the dataset included sensitive user information such as demographics and location data. The FTC noted that no money changed hands and no services were provided in return for this data.
Developing Surveillance Tech
The complaint states that Clarifai utilized these images to build facial recognition services capable of detecting age, sex, and race. The resulting technology was reportedly marketed to foreign governments, military operations, and police departments.
While an OkCupid spokesperson maintained that the company has no current relationship with Clarifai and denied releasing user information improperly, the FTC argues that OkCupid made false and misleading claims regarding its data privacy practices. The regulatory body has proposed a settlement to address the allegations.
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