Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
OkCupid's Privacy Policy contains several provisions that may disadvantage users. Following account closure, data is retained for three months to investigate unlawful conduct, and if an account is banned, data is kept for two years for the same reason. Furthermore, data necessary to prevent banned members from opening new accounts is retained indefinitely. The service also retains profile data for one year in anticipation of potential litigation and maintains data for any outstanding or potential issues, claims, or disputes, especially if a legal request is received. The service reserves the right to reject user data requests if identity cannot be authenticated, the request is unlawful, or it infringes on trade secrets, intellectual property, or the rights of others.
85% confidence
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Risk Flags
2 findings
Critical issues that pose significant risk to users.
high95% confidence
Data Retention After Account Ban
If an account is banned, the service retains data for two years to investigate unlawful or harmful conduct.
Why it matters: If your account is banned, your data will be kept for two years to investigate unlawful or harmful conduct.
To protect the safety and security of our members, we implement a safety retention window of three months following account closure or two years following an account ban. During this period, we keep your data to investigate unlawful or harmful conduct.
**9\. How Long We Retain Your Data**, paragraph 4 · Citation strength: strong
high90% confidence
Data Retention for Outstanding Issues, Claims, or Disputes
The service maintains data when there is an outstanding or potential issue, claim, or dispute, particularly if a valid legal subpoena or request is received.
Why it matters: Your data may be kept if there's an ongoing or potential legal issue, claim, or dispute, especially if there's a legal request for it.
we maintain data on the basis of our legitimate interest where there is an outstanding or potential issue, claim or dispute requiring us to keep data in particular if we receive a valid legal subpoena or request asking us to preserve data (in which case we would need to keep the data to comply with our legal obligations) or if data would otherwise be necessary as part of legal proceedings.
**9\. How Long We Retain Your Data**, paragraph 4 · Citation strength: strong
Data Use & Sharing
3 findings
How your data is collected, used, and shared with others.
medium85% confidence
Sharing Data with Advertising Partners for Targeted Ads
The service provides information to advertising partners or allows them to collect data to improve the relevance of ads, including transforming email addresses or phone numbers into identifiers for targeting or exclusion.
Why it matters: Information about you, such as your email address or phone number, might be shared with advertising partners, potentially in an anonymized form, to help target ads to you or similar audiences.
To help improve the relevance of these ads, we provide certain info about you to third parties, including advertising partners, or allow them to collect such data from our services (such as via cookies, SDKs, or similar technologies). Some of our advertising partners enable us to transform your email address, advertising identifiers, or phone number into an identifier that can’t be used to identify you personally and then use that unique identifier to either exclude you from our marketing campaigns or to target our ads at an audience that is similar to you in terms of background, interests or app usage.
**5\. How We Share Data**, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
medium85% confidence
Data Sharing with Law Enforcement for Various Reasons
The service may disclose user data to law enforcement to comply with legal processes, assist in crime prevention/detection, protect safety, and defend legal claims.
Why it matters: Your data might be shared with law enforcement authorities for legal compliance, crime prevention, safety concerns, or to defend legal claims.
We may disclose your data to: (i) comply with a legal process, such as a court order, subpoena or search warrant, government/law enforcement investigation, or other legal requirements; (ii) assist in the prevention or detection of crime; (iii) protect the safety of any person; and (iv) establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
**5\. How We Share Data**, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
medium85% confidence
Data Transfer During Mergers and Acquisitions
The service may transfer user data during corporate changes like mergers, sales, or acquisitions, which could include the entire organization's data or a specific subset.
Why it matters: Your data may be transferred to a new owner or affiliate if the company undergoes a merger, sale, or other change in ownership.
We may transfer your data if we are involved, whether in whole or in part, in a merger, sale, acquisition, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, bankruptcy, or other change of ownership or control.
**5\. How We Share Data**, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
Cancellation & Renewal
All clear
Details on how to cancel services and what happens with renewals.
✓
Looking good
No billing surprises spotted
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No cancellation, auto-renewal, or refund terms needed attention here.
Gotchas
2 findings
Potentially overlooked clauses that may be to your disadvantage.
medium80% confidence
Rejection of Data Rights Requests
The service may reject requests related to user rights if unable to authenticate identity, if the request is unlawful or invalid, or if it infringes on trade secrets, intellectual property, or others' rights.
Why it matters: Your requests to access, correct, or delete your data may be denied if the service cannot verify your identity, if the request is unlawful, or if it impacts the rights of others or company intellectual property.
Keep in mind that we may reject requests, including if we are unable to authenticate you, if the request is unlawful or invalid, or if it may infringe on trade secrets or intellectual property or the privacy or other rights of someone else.
**8\. Your Rights**, paragraph 4 · Citation strength: strong
low90% confidence
Data Transfers to Countries with Different Data Processing Laws
The service operates globally, and sharing data involves cross-border transfers to the United States and other countries that may have different data processing laws.
Why it matters: Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries like the United States, which might have different data protection laws than your home country.
Because we operate a global service, the sharing of your data laid out in Section 5 involves cross-border data transfers to the United States of America and other countries that may have different laws about data processing.
**7\. Cross-Border Data Transfers**, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Protections
3 findings
Commitments and features that benefit user rights and privacy.
Protection95% confidence
Advance Notice of Material Policy Changes
The service commits to notifying users before material changes to the privacy policy take effect, allowing time for review.
Why it helps: You will be informed of significant changes to the privacy policy before they happen, giving you time to understand and react to them.
We will notify you before material changes take effect so that you have time to review the changes.
Right to Delete Personal Data and Account Closure Option
Users have the right to delete some provided data directly within the service and can close their account, leading to data deletion as outlined in the Privacy Policy.
Why it helps: You have control over some of your personal data, with options to delete it or close your account, which initiates the process of data deletion.
You can delete some of the data you provided us directly within the service. You can also close your account as explained [here](https://okcupid-app.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/22976833965595) and we’ll delete your data as laid out in this Privacy Policy.
**8\. Your Rights**, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
Protection95% confidence
Age Restriction to Protect Minors
The service is restricted to individuals 18 years of age or older, and individuals under 18 are not permitted on the platform.
Why it helps: This policy helps protect minors by restricting access to the service to adults only.
Our service is restricted to individuals who are 18 years of age or older. We do not permit individuals under the age of 18 on our platform.