Online Safety – Photos

Sunday, September 23rd, 2012
Old fashioned compact

We’ve covered what you shouldn’t reveal in your online dating profile, but it’s also important to consider what information you are sharing through your choice of photos.

A good, hearty selection of photos can entice people to your dating profile, and attract way more engagement than those that are left blank and faceless. But sometimes you can reveal just a little too much, including:

Your address It’s common for people to put a picture of their house on their online dating profile, as they want to show off their lovely home. However, make sure that you do not show your house name or number in the photo, especially if you have revealed the name of the village or town where you live in your profile. If your home is particularly unique, to the point where Kevin McCloud has been hanging around outside, then it would be easy for people to find you, even without a house number.

Your company name – We also see a lot of people loading photos with their company name on them. For example people may be wearing a polo shirt with their company logo on it, or may have their company vehicle or sign in the background. Your employer may not be happy for you to post a picture of their logo on an online dating site and for your own safety it is a good idea not to mention your place of work until you have got to know someone.

Your number plate – Whether it’s a work vehicle or your own car you shouldn’t reveal your registration plate online, as it could be cloned and somebody could use your number plate to avoid paying for speeding tickets and parking fines.

Your team’s logo – At Muddy Matches we love a good action shot and encourage members to add photos of their favourite activities to their online dating profile. However, you may wish to be cautious about revealing your sports team’s logo in a public domain.

Children – If you wish to use a picture of a friend or a family member’s child please make sure to ask permission from the parents first, as some do not wish to have photos of their children online. If you are a Muddy Matches member and would like us to crop someone out of a photo for your profile, please email customercare@muddymatches.co.uk.

*Please note that Muddy Matches members can ask for advice about which photos to include, as well as the order in which they display on profiles. We also check through every photo that is sent to us to protect your identity. We do our due diligence and make changes, such as blanking out number plates or editing out logos, where deemed necessary.