Whenever you do anything on the Internet, whether it is downloading an app, visiting a website, or using social media, someone is collecting data about you. The information about what you do online includes what searches you perform, which websites you go to, what articles you read, and even what items you buy online. This data includes your name, your date of birth, your Social Security number, your address, your phone number, and so on. Specific facts that others can use to identify you are called personally identifiable information (PII). In general, online privacy refers to your ability to safeguard two kinds of information: who you are and what you do. Despite the pervasiveness of this industry, however, many users continue to engage in behaviors that put their privacy at risk.
Today, nearly 300 million individuals around the world use online dating sites. Since the first Internet dating site,, went live in the mid-1990s, online dating has evolved to become the standard way that singles meet new people. This post has been modified to reflect new information since its original publication.