According to a report by TechCrunch, researchers from KU Leuven in Belgium discovered that popular dating apps like Hinge, Happn, Bumble, Grindr, Badoo, and Hily could be used by malicious users to pinpoint the near-exact locations of other users through a method called “trilateration”. The apps were found to exhibit different forms of trilateration, prompting some to enhance their security measures. The study revealed that Grindr was susceptible to exact distance trilateration, while Happn fell under rounded distance trilateration, and the remaining apps utilized oracle trilateration. The researchers explained how malicious users could locate targets up to 2 meters away using this method, manipulating location data to pinpoint victims. Some apps like Bumble and Hily addressed the security concerns, while others like Happn and Grindr implemented measures to protect user data. In response to these findings, dating apps like Tinder introduced advanced ID verification systems to combat spam bots and fake accounts.
