Tinder is considered by many to be a source for hookups and quick connections. The popular dating app has simplified the connection process by letting users "swipe" profiles to determine their level of interest in the individual. If two individuals both show interest in the other, then the app will set them up via chat.
While the app is often used to promote heterosexual romances, one hacker figured out how to trick male accounts into connecting with one another, The Verge reported. An unnamed programmer from California created a collection of "dummy" profiles on the site. If two individuals happen to like the dummy profile, the programmer's hack will then use the dummy account as an intermediary and forward the private messages of each user to the other.
Within 12 hours of the program's installation, Patrick (the programmer's pseudonym) was overseeing 40+ conversations in order to make sure things didn't get crazy, and was also was willing to jump in when the potential of a physical meet-up came up.
Patrick told The Verge that the hack was inspired by how "female friends of his would often complain about the messages they received on Tinder." The original plan was to create a program that would tweet out the first messages his dummy accounts received on Tinder. Then Patrick discovered that he could do a lot more with Tinder's API.
"Tinder makes it surprisingly easy to bot their system," the hacker said. "As long as you have a Facebook authentication token, you can behave as a robot as if you were a person."
According to Patrick, the individuals who were involved in this hack were apparently oblivious, since they didn't notice any of the signs the parties gave of being male or looking for a female interest.
Patrick shared a number of screenshots from the chat sessions, and are currently viewable over at The Verge.
