A college student is suing a dating app that allegedly used her TikTok videos to target men in her dormitory
A 19-year-old woman is suing the makers of a dating app, alleging they took a video she posted online, repurposed it without her consent into an advertisement for the app, then used geofencing to target that ad to people in her area.
According to the lawsuit filed Apr. 28 in Tennessee and an interview with her lawyer, the company allegedly used geotargeting to serve the ads on platforms like Snapchat to users near her, including men in her own dormitory.
The allegations, if proven, offer another example of how modern technology has made it easier than ever today for bad actors to imitate, objectify, profit off and harass individuals, often women. Recent laws like the Take It Down Act have focused particularly on the use of AI to create sexualized imagery of their victims. In this case, the lawsuit alleges that Meete used not AI, but simple video editing, a voiceover and geofencing to create the same kind of deception.
On the day of her high school graduation, Kaelyn Lunglhofer posted a brief video to TikTok, wearing an orange outfit and saying a few words to her followers over background music. She went on to attend the University of Tennessee in the fall, where she began building a following as a TikTok influencer.
The complaint alleges that the makers behind the dating app Meete took that video without Lunglhofer’s consent, overlayed it with graphics advertising the app, and added a voiceover to make it appear she was saying “Are you looking for a friend with benefits? This app shows you women around you who are looking for some fun. You can video chat with them.”
Abe Pafford, Lunglhofer’s attorney, told CyberScoop that his client had no idea Meete was using her likeness until a male student in her dormitory told her he had repeatedly seen her in ads for the app on his Snapchat shortly after the two had met.
Pafford called it “implausible” that this was a coincidence, pointing to Meete’s premise of connecting users with nearby women and the precision of geofencing technology. Before filing the case, Pafford’s law firm hired an investigative firm to gather additional evidence.
“I think the idea is they want[ed] viewers of these advertisements – and candidly this is pretty clearly targeted at male viewers – to have their eye caught by someone they may know or recognize or think they may have seen around, and that’s part of what makes it so disturbing,” he said.
Pafford said he believes Lunglhofer is far from the only person whose image Meete has misappropriated, and that most victims likely have no idea it’s happening. Lunglhofer herself only had evidence because the student who told her had saved recordings and screenshots of the ads featuring her video.
“The bottom line is we think there are likely others that have been victimized in a similar way, but finding out who they are and landing on tangible proof of that can be challenging,” he said.
Snap did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
The lawsuit cites alleged violation of multiple federal and state laws, including the Lanham Act, the primary U.S. law governing trademark rights. The suit also alleges violations of Tennessee state law under the ELVIS Act, which prevents the unauthorized use of image or likeness for artists and musicians, and Tennessee common laws for defamation and right of publicity.
Lunglhofer is seeking $750,000 in punitive damages, as well as any revenue tied to the ads featuring her likeness. Pafford said that the advertisements damaged her online brand and reputation while also putting her at risk of harassment or falsely implying she was endorsing a local dating service and was open to casual hookups.
“It’s really kind of grotesque and it’s also kind of dangerous,” he said. “Someone may not be aware that this is happening and they’re targeted in this way, but you can put people at risk in ways that are really troubling if you stop to think about it.”
The suit names Quantum Communications Development Unlimited, based in the Virgin Islands, as well as Chinese companies Starpool Data Limited and Guangzhou Yuedong Interconnection Technology, as defendants. A judge has ordered representatives from all three to appear for depositions in the United States.
Quantum Communications Development Unlimited has a sparse internet footprint: their website consists of a single page with a message written in broken English and an email address that no longer appears to work. Efforts by CyberScoop to reach the company and other defendants for comment were not successful. The company is listed as Meete’s publisher on Apple’s App Store, where it describes the app as “a space where you can be yourself and meet people” and promises “safety and respect first” — adding that “Meete provides a secure environment where your privacy and safety are our top concerns.”
The description also claims the app adheres to Apple’s safety standards, citing a “Zero-Tolerance Policy regarding objectionable content and abusive behavior.” Listed safeguards include “24/7” manual reviews by moderation teams, instant reporting and blocking of other users, and AI filtering “to detect and prevent harassment before it happens.”
On Meete’s Google Play Store page, user reviews accuse the app of failing to match them to nearby users and being largely populated by bots posing as women to sell in-app currency.
Pafford acknowledged that the defendants being based overseas complicates efforts to hold them accountable under U.S. law, but argued that Meete is clearly designed to operate in the United States. The companies behind the app have filed U.S. patents and trademarks, for their business, and distribute their app through the Apple and Google Play Stores while advertising on major U.S. social media platforms like Snapchat. “
Apple and Google did not respond to a request for comment.
You can read the full lawsuit below.
