Flirting with consent? Bumble’s AI Icebreaker feature under fire

Noyb, the Austrian data protection non-profit, has filed a complaint against Bumble over its artificial intelligence (AI) Icebreakers.

The Austrian data protection non-profit has filed a complaint against the popular dating app Bumble for using a feature that utilizes AI without users' direct consent.

In December 2023, Bumble introduced AI Icebreakers into its “Bumble for Friends” feature.

The feature is powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and is designed to prompt users into a conversation with an AI-generated message.

However, noyb has said that Bumble feeds OpenAI information from your personal profile so that it knows what you might say and how you might act.

The issue that noyb discovered is that Bumble has not asked its users for direct consent to essentially train the AI model on their personal and arguably intimate data.

While Bumble does show a banner designed to encourage users to click the “Okay” button, giving the illusion of consent. However, noyb said that Bumble actually claims to have “legitimate interest” in using data.

The message that popped up reads: “AI breaks the ice. We use AI to help you get started with chatting. This allows you to ask questions that match the profile information of our members.”

This message will not go away unless you essentially consent by clicking “Okay.” According to noyb, Bumble relies on (annoying forms of) consent – Bumble seems to merely pretend to ask for consent, which gives people a false sense of control.

Therefore, noyb has filed a complaint with the Austrian data protection authority (DSB).

“Bumble has violated its transparency obligations under Article 5(1)(a) GDPR by failing to provide information about the processing in relation to the Icebreaker feature and by confusing users with a “fake” consent banner.”

Noyb claims that Bumble “lacks a legal basis” as it can’t legally claim to base its processing on legitimate interest.

The non-profit “requests Bumble to stop the unlawful processing and to start using a proper legal basis for the Icebreaker feature,” noyb said, and suggests that the DSB impose a fine to “prevent similar violations in the future.”