Dating app fined after massive data leak

A major data breach at one of South Korea’s top matchmaking services has exposed the sensitive personal information of hundreds of thousands of users—triggering a hefty government fine and renewed concerns over data security.

The country’s data watchdog, the Personal Information Protection Commission, announced that it has fined matchmaking company Duo 1.21 billion won (about $815,000) after a large-scale hack compromised its user database, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

What data was exposed?

Hackers gained unauthorized access in January last year, downloading personal information of more than 420,000 current and former members.

The leaked data included:

Phone numbers and home addresses
Education and workplace details
Highly sensitive personal traits such as weight, blood type, and marital history
Why the company was fined

Regulators found that Duo:

Failed to implement adequate security measures
Responded too slowly after the breach
Improperly stored sensitive data, including ID numbers and passwords
Did not delete outdated information for nearly 300,000 users, violating retention rules

The commission has ordered the company to improve its data protection systems and fully disclose details of the incident.

Duo said it “deeply regrets” the breach and acknowledged it failed to properly safeguard user data. However, the company described the attack as “extremely difficult to detect or prevent.”

The incident highlights a growing issue across South Korea, where multiple companies and online platforms have faced similar data breaches in recent years.

Public backlash over repeated leaks has pushed authorities to tighten regulations and increase enforcement, especially for companies handling highly personal information.

Matchmaking services often collect deeply personal data to improve compatibility—making breaches like this especially serious.

With over 53,000 marriages reportedly linked to Duo’s services, the platform holds intimate details about users’ lives—raising the stakes when security fails.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada