Privacy Concerns

The privacy that OKC offers to its users it not very secure (Downey, 2012). It has been noted that a user's personal information isn’t private on OKC (Downey, 2012). This is because of a couple different reasons which are included in the makeup of the site:

[1] OKC doesn’t offer standard secure web browsing encryption to ensure that information sent and received in coded in a way that others cannot see (Downey, 2012). This also means that anyone on one's wireless network has the potential to ready an OKC email, page view, chat messages, etc (Downey, 2012). The data that users provide on the site can be harmful to people who want to stay more hidden (Downey, 2012).

[2] The site uses a range of 9 different tracking companies and ad networks who buy bundles of audience information and data trafficking (Downey, 2012). They are not part of OKC, they are independent third parties who use the data collected to sell to users (Downey, 2012). They create a chain of companies to which information posted and received from users, which is then sold to these companies who place cookies enabling customized ads, content, or services to be provided to users (Downey, 2012). 

[3] Anything that is posted on the site is achieved indefinitely even when a user deletes their account (Downey, 2012). As the site mainly asks for personal interests, gender, age, education, browser/IP address, users will often provide additional information to meet the best candidate and increase their online profile (Downey, 2012). Not only does the site use information to match users with others, it also continuously tracks the behaviour of users to assert their matchability and statistics of the match (Downey, 2012). 

[4] Finally, after being bought by match.com OKC data sharing increased by many different companies and website networks available to information posted on the website. 

http://en.yibada.com/articles/123543/20160514/researchers-upload-nearly-70000-okcupid-profiles-public-without-users-consent.htm
Some tips for staying more private on OKC are…

[1] User browser add-ons that disallow tracking of website and information access 

(Downey, 2012).

[2] Only provide the amount of information absolutely necessary to participate in membership and always think about what you are going to post as it is permanent 

(Downey, 2012).

[3] Use an alias or anonymous email to further disengage yourself from personal information shared (Downey, 2012).  

________________________________________________________________________________Works Cited:Downey, S. A. (June 2012). Your privacy on OKCupid: The unromantic truth. Online Privacy Blog.