People don't trust dating apps, but they still swipe right

People are largely uncomfortable giving their personal data to dating apps and websites, but they use them anyway, according to an Axios-SurveyMonkey poll.

Why it matters: Nearly a quarter of those surveyed use services like OkCupid, Tinder or Match.com, according to the poll, and that share grows to roughly a third for younger people.

The bigger picture: While these apps have drastically changed the dating scene, they are not immune to the same security and privacy risks of other online services. A security firm recently reported, for example, that a failure to encrypt key data meant someone could spy on a person’s activity on Tinder.

Even people who use or have used the services express discomfort with how their personal data is handled.

• 51% say that they are not "too confident" or "not confident at all" that the services are doing everything they can to protect their personal information.
• Only 12% say they are extremely or very confident.
• 50% of users say they are not too comfortable or not comfortable at all providing their personal information to the services.
• Younger people are more comfortable than their older counterparts with providing their personal information to online dating services.
• 30% of 18-24 year olds say they are somewhat comfortable providing their personal data to the services, compared to just 16% of 45-54 year olds.

Age also factors into how they view dating services compared to other online services they use.

• Just 20% of 18-24 year olds who’ve used dating apps say they are more concerned about their personal data being shared by those services, including with advertisers, than they are with other applications.
• It’s much higher for older generations: 48% of 55-64 year olds and 47% of people 65 or older who’ve used the apps said they’re more concerned than with other products.

SurveyMonkey conducted the poll for Axios online between January 17-21, 2018. It had a sample size of 4,329 adults nationwide. The survey has a modeled error estimate of plus or minus 2 percentage points.