If you've ever wondered if anyone you know (boyfriend? girlfriend? husband?) is on the popular dating site Tinder, a new app claims it can help you find the answer.
For $4.99, Swipe Buster will track down a user for you by simply inputting their name and last known location. With this information, Swipe Buster retrieves user data from Tinder's application programming interface, or A.P.I.
Tinder's A.P.I. and database are public. It is common among technology companies to have open A.P.I.s, so other companies can build ancillary products around their core experience, reported Vanity Fair magazine.
The man behind Swipe Buster,who according to Vanity Fair wishes to remain anonymous, told the magazine that Swipe Buster is a short-term project designed to make Tinder aware of how much information it is publicly disclosing about its users.
"There is too much data about people that people themselves don't know is available," said the Swipe Buster creator to Vanity Fair. "Not only are people oversharing and putting out a lot of information about themselves, but companies are also not doing enough to let people know they're doing it."
Various media reported that a Tinder spokesperson said in a statement: "Searchable information on the Web site is public information that Tinder users have on their profiles. If you want to see who's on Tinder we recommend saving your money and downloading the app for free."
The Swipe Buster creator told Vanity Fair that once Tinder protects its public A.P.I, Swipe Buster will no longer exist, which is his "ultimate goal."
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