Dating app operator fined for creating fake accounts with users’ photos without notice

The operator of Amanda, a South Korean dating app, was fined for allegedly creating fake accounts using photos of its members without notice and matching them with real users, the data protection watchdog said Thursday. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) said it decided to impose a penalty of some 220 million won (US$165,595) on Techlabs during a plenary meeting Wednesday. Investigations found that Techlabs, which operates three dating apps in South Korea and Taiwan, created 276 fake accounts in total and automatically matched the false profiles with its real users for about a year, starting in October 2020. The company also allegedly ordered its employees to take part in the fabrication process. The commission concluded that taking photos on dating apps without consent is a deviation from its original purpose and a "deeply grave violation" of the rights, interests and privacy of the subjects of that information. The commission also reported the company to police on charges of violati ng the Personal Information Protection Act and recommended it notify its members whose profiles were misused. Source: Yonhap News Agency