Three dating apps removed from Google Play Store and Apple App Store, says FTC

Google and Apple have removed not one or two but three dating apps from Play Store and App Store respectively. Namely, FastMeet, Meet24 and Meet4U, all brought to existence by the same Ukranian company called Wildec. This information comes from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Well, according to FTC attorney Lisa Weintraub Schifferle, all three dating apps appeared to infringe upon the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPAA) as well as the FTC Act.

Here's what happened

The FTC said in its letter to Wildec last week that the apps did not prevent those users who said they are below the age of 13 from signing up or using the service or even being visible to other users. In an ideal scenario, the app should have blocked underage users below 13 age from using the app or signing up for it in the first place since the FTC makes it mandatory for all the apps hosted on Google Play Store and Apple App Store to comply with the COPAA.

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The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPAA) makes it mandatory for app developers to obtain written consent from parents that can be verified before they can even ask children below the age of 13 to share their personal information. The FTC further told the maker of these dating apps that its failure to do so violate the COPAA.

The FTC further went on to say that the company seemed to know that children below 13 are using their apps. The FTC also said they would review the apps again sometime in June to see if they comply with the COPAA and the FTC Act.

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Earlier, China's ByteDance owned TikTok started restricting underage users from using its app. Their move came after the FTC asked TikTok to pay the fine of $5.7 million in a settlement over allegations of violating the COPAA. As a result, the app also started blocking the users who were not actually below 13 but had entered the wrong date of birth either hastily or unintentionally.

Earlier in April, the Madras High Court imposed an interim ban on TikTok over concerns of 'encouraging pornography' through the app. However, the Madras HC later lifted the ban with the condition that the platform should not be used to host obscene videos.