Is AdultFriendFinder safe? Expert flags privacy and phishing risks

Is AdultFriendFinder safe? The short answer from cybersecurity expert Anna Larkina is that users can reduce risk, but they should treat the adult dating platform as a public space rather than a private hideaway.

Larkina, a Web Data and Privacy Analysis Expert at Kaspersky, told Mashable that any online service can run into cybersecurity trouble, including data leaks, attacks affecting outside contractors, or mistakes tied to human behavior. Dating sites can carry extra risk because users often hand over payment details alongside personal information.

AdultFriendFinder, also known as AFF, is built around adult content and dating connections. That means the information users share there can be more sensitive than what they might put on a shopping site, and more useful to scammers if it gets exposed.

Is AdultFriendFinder safe to use?

Larkina’s advice is cautious rather than alarmist. She said users should remember that private data from dating and adult-content services can be especially personal, and fraudsters who obtain it could use it for blackmail or targeted phishing.

The risk is not limited to hackers breaking into a service. Dating platforms also create openings for scammers who pose as potential matches, build trust and try to draw out sensitive information or compromising images.

AdultFriendFinder allows users to verify their identity with government-issued identification, according to Mashable. The feature is optional during account setup, but Mashable recommends using it and limiting searches to verified accounts where possible.

What information can be exposed on AdultFriendFinder?

AdultFriendFinder profiles are public by default, according to Mashable. Private sign-up details such as a real name or email address are not public-facing, but a profile photo showing a user’s face could make the account recognizable to friends, relatives or co-workers.

Larkina said details such as an email address, phone number and username become part of a user’s digital footprint once they are given to an online service. Her advice is to think carefully before posting or sending anything, especially intimate photos or sensitive personal information.

Mashable also noted AdultFriendFinder’s past security problems. The platform has had two major breaches, including one in which hackers accessed personal information tied to four million users before the breach was found and stopped. A larger 2016 breach affected about 300 million AFF accounts, including 15 million accounts that users had officially deleted but whose data had not been properly removed from AFF servers, according to Mashable.

How can AdultFriendFinder users protect themselves?

Larkina’s guidance applies to AFF and other dating services: assume that anything shared online could carry reputational, privacy or security consequences.

• Use a personal email address for dating accounts, not a work email. If privacy is a major concern, create a separate email account for dating sites.
• Use strong, unique passwords and change them regularly.
• Enable two-factor authentication if the service offers it.
• Be careful with sensitive details, especially when talking to strangers.
• Think through the risks before posting or sending intimate images.
• On AdultFriendFinder, consider interacting only with users who have verified their identity.

Larkina’s bottom line, as reported by Mashable, is that dating users should act as if these platforms are public spaces. AdultFriendFinder can be used with caution, but users should keep their personal data, photos and contact details on a short leash.

This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.