Dating apps under scanner after spike in digital crimes

The police have put the operation of several newly launched dating apps under scrutiny following a spike in crimes involving digital predation, online grooming of minors and theft of personal data. The move follows confidential complaints received by the State’s high-tech crime inquiry cell.

Sources said the presence of minors on such unverified apps could pose serious risks, leading to financial fraud and sexual exploitation. “Sensitive banking details and personal information of several users are in the possession of operators of these unregistered platforms, raising concerns over data breaches and leaks into the public domain,” they said.

A senior police officer associated with the investigation cited a recent high-profile case from Kasaragod in which a minor boy was allegedly sexually exploited by 16 adults he had met through a dating app created exclusively for the LGBTQ community. Government officials were also among the accused, the officer said, adding that the operators of such online “matchmaking” platforms often remain untraceable due to the illegal nature of their operations.

The police sources said social media advertisements promoting these dating platforms have attracted a large number of young users. The involvement of celebrities as promoters has further encouraged people to sign up on such insecure platforms, often by paying registration fees and furnishing incorrect personal details, including age.

An IT expert currently working with the Kerala Police Cyberdome said that text chats and video calls on such insecure platforms could be leaked at any time due to weak encryption. The risk of blackmail using sensitive content exchanged during live chats is also high, he said.

Officers of the cybercrime investigation wing said downloading unverified dating apps could facilitate the theft of digital data stored on personal devices. Illegal access to contacts, photographs, messages and banking details, as well as third-party data sharing, is possible through such apps, they said.

A Sub Inspector who was part of the investigation into the Kasaragod cybercrime case said that while some confidential complaints related to fraudulent apps had reached the police, many victims were reluctant to come forward to protect their identity. Several users had reportedly lost money after signing up on untrustworthy platforms, he added. He said the police were conducting awareness programmes, including initiatives such as D-AD (Digital De-Addiction), to promote healthy online behaviour.