Ask LH: Why Does Blendr Automatically Track My Location?

Hi Lifehacker, I use Blendr for dating, etc. I recently noticed that the app’s location services are always on. I have to manually turn off the location services. I emailed support asking if it was a glitch and they replied basically saying it was a “feature”, despite me complaining it feels like the service is tracking me all the time even with the app totally closed. Am I over-reacting? Thanks, Blended Privacy

[credit provider=”Blendr” url=”http://blendr.com/”]

Dear BP,

The short answer is yes, you’re kind of over-reacting. It’s not hugely unreasonable for the app to keep location services on by default — proximity hookups are part of the feature set, after all. If the app didn’t let you turn this feature off you’d perhaps have reason for concern. But it does, so there’s really no need to worry about it.

It’s also worth noting that any permissions an app utilises are listed prior to installation (that is, if you’re using Android). So it hasn’t really done anything too sneaky. That said, the app has run into unrelated criticisms for having poor security, particularly when it comes to hacking people’s profiles.

If you’re still a bit leery, it might be worth running the app through a security interrogation tool such as BitDefender’s Clueful. This will let you know how the app handles privacy, including the way it stores and shares data.

If any readers have a differing viewpoint, feel free to fire away in the comments section below.

See also: Best Aussie Flirting And Dating Apps | Online Dating Without The Hassle | How Keeping Everything In The Cloud Might Ruin Your Dating Life

Cheers
Lifehacker

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