Experts tell how dating service users can protect their data

What do dating services do for the safety of their users? For example, when creating a profile on VK Dating, the neural network recognizes explicit photos and automatically sends them to the moderators. The service also has an algorithm that detects suspicious messages during user conversations and warns about safe communication.

In a special section dedicated to safe dating, “VK Dating” has collected contacts for various situations if you need psychological help.

Flero also has similar sections with rules for safe dating. In addition to tips on data security, there are also recommendations for real-life meetings: take your time, go to public places, notify friends/family about the meeting, etc.

Flero co-founder and CEO Alexander Davydov says the support team examines each negative case individually. The service also cooperates with authorities in the event of serious incidents to ensure the protection of its audience.

According to the director of the Russian research center Kaspersky Lab, Dmitry Galov, when using dating applications, the same basic security rules should be followed as in instant messaging or sites with message boards.

1. You should not switch to a third-party messenger to communicate until you are sure that you are not dealing with an attacker;

2. Do not click on links in dubious messages;

3. Do not make life easier for attackers: do not post a large amount of information about yourself in the public domain (geographic tags, place of work or study);

4. If they ask you to send money or persistently ask for personal information, consider whether it’s worth continuing the conversation;

5. Download dating from the official app stores.

Dating apps and sites have a large audience and attackers know it. The schemes and legends implemented on these sites can be very different. For example, blackmail by publishing intimate photos and videos of the user. In this case, lawyer Evgenia Kvartalnova recommends first understanding whether the materials correspond to reality.

• If the photos/videos are “fabricated”, then their distribution will be considered defamation and will be included in the article. 128.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

To bring the attacker to justice, you must write a statement to the police and report the defamation, and also be sure to indicate that his actions undermine the reputation of the victim in the eyes of others.

• If the photo/video really belongs to the user, then the blackmailer violates several articles of the Criminal Code: on privacy (Article 137 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and about the secrecy of correspondence, telephone conversations and messages. (Article 138 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

The lawyer emphasizes that this applies not only to personal photographs and videos, but also to screenshots of chats, as well as to the disclosure of any information that has been entrusted to the accused.

If the stalker threatens to publish personal information, then you can take screenshots of these correspondences and not delete them so that you can confirm their authenticity.

If, in exchange for non-proliferation, the partner demands property, money or the performance of any action, then this will already be considered extortion (Art. 163 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Evgenia Kvartalnova also reminded that dissemination is not only publication in the media or social networks, but also sending personal messages.

In any case, Kvartalnova recommends writing a statement to the police, and it must be taken into account that the chances of the case moving forward are minimal, since the security forces have little experience in fighting cybercrimes.