Given the amount of horror stories relating to app security and personal data breaches posted to HN over the years, I've become somewhat paranoid and I'm hesitant to install any apps outside of the Google-Facebook duopoly unless there's a clear benefit to it.

Dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge appear to have some utility (particularly while Covid remains an issue), but opinions on these apps are pretty varied. Some people give them glowing praise while others criticise the incentives of the app-makers or argue that they scam people out of their money.

Based on this, it's feels like a reasonable stance to avoid such apps if they are just a means to siphon one's data, money, and attention with only some unknown gain in return.

I'm interested to know what those in the community think about these apps... Are the data privacy trade-offs worth it? What other risks might people overlook when using these apps? Are any particular apps more or less secure than the others?

Thanks in advance for your insights and experience here!