Donald Daters, a dating app created for President Trump supporters to “connect lovers, friends and Trump supporters alike,” is under fire after a security researcher found that the app was leaking user information in an open database, despite the fact that the site promises that “all your personal information is kept private.”
The app allows users to “block any potential liberals that troll them,” according to Fox. However, shortly after Fox and several other media outlets published information about the application, Baptiste Robert, a French security researcher, found that the app was leaking private information, including biographical details such as names and profile photos, but also potentially tokens for logging into peoples’ accounts and private messages.
“This is super easy to replicate,” Robert, who also goes by the handle Elliot Alderson, told Motherboard in an online chat.
“Alderson pointed Motherboard to the apparently misconfigured database which contains the Donald Daters user information,” Motherboard reports. “To verify the data did come from Donald Daters, Motherboard created an account on the app, searched for users mentioned in the exposed data, found these through the app itself, and confirmed the profile photos and names matched up.”
Aside from assuring users that their private information is safe and exactly that – private – the site also encourages “safe online dating” and tells users not to share their personal information with any other user before vetting the person.
Motherboard also claims the app is “clunky” and not very functional, and it seems as though very few people are using the app yet. Motherboard also states that there are numerous issues with the app, and several statements and functions throughout the app are misspelled or nonfunctional. The app also only lets users look at 10 people before locking them out and asking them to pay the $29.99 monthly fee, according to Motherboard.
This is a developing story. Heavy will continue to update as more information is known, and if/when Motherboard releases a statement about the app leaking private user information.