Dating apps face US inquiry over underage use, sex offenders

A House subcommittee is investigating popular dating services such as Tinder and Bumble for allegedly allowing minors and sex offenders to use their services.

Bumble, Grindr, The Meet Group and the Match Group, which owns such popular services as Tinder, Match.com and OkCupid, are the current targets of the investigation by the United States House Oversight and Reform subcommittee on economic and consumer policy.


In separate letters Thursday to the companies, the subcommittee is seeking information on users’ ages, procedures for verifying ages and any complaints about assaults, rape or the use of the services by minors. It is also asking for the services’ privacy policies and details on what users see when they review and agree to the policies. It also seeks information on what data is collected on people, including sexual orientation, drug use and political views.

Although the minimum age for using internet services is typically 13 in the U.S., dating services generally require users to be at least 18 because of concerns about sexual predators.

“Our concern about the underage use of dating apps is heightened by reports that many popular free dating apps permit registered sex offenders to use them, while the paid versions of these same apps screen out registered sex offenders,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Illinois Democrat who heads the subcommittee, said in a statement. “Protection from sexual predators should not be a luxury confined to paying customers.”

Match Group said it uses “every tool possible” to keep minors and bad actors off its services and continues to invest in technology to keep users safe. In an emailed statement, the company said the problem was broader and requires other parties, including app stores that know who their users are, “to do their part as well.”

Match added that the national sex offender registry needs to be updated so that perpetrators’ digital footprints can be tracked and blocked by social media and dating services.

Grindr and The Meet Group did not respond to messages for comment on Thursday. Bumble had no immediate comment.

Besides safety issues, the investigation also seeks to address concerns about data the services request to make matches. Such information may include sexual orientation, gender identity, political views, and drug, alcohol and tobacco use.

The subcommittee cited a report by a Norwegian consumer group this month that found that dating apps including Grindr, OkCupid and Tinder leak personal information to advertising tech companies in possible violation of European data privacy laws. The Norwegian Consumer Council said it found “serious privacy infringements” in its analysis of how shadowy online ad companies track and profile smartphone users.

In response to that report, Match had said that it shares information with third parties only when it is “deemed necessary to operate its platform” with third-party apps. The company said it considers the practice in line with all European and U.S. regulations. CL/RGA

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Tinder introduces new tools to keep users safe

Tinder has announced a collection of tools for the app that prevent users from being catfished and help them keep in touch with trusted contacts and emergency services if needed.

A handful of the new tools are available thanks to the integration of Noonlight, a connected safety platform that gives each individual a personal safety service. Through Noonlight, users can share information about their date night — who they are meeting as well as where and at what time — with people they trust. Users can “discreetly trigger” emergency services in the event that they feel uncomfortable or in danger.


Along with Noonlight, Tinder has begun slowly rolling out Photo Verification, a feature that is still being tested, which “allows members to self-authenticate through a series of real-time posed selfies, which are compared to existing profile photos using human-assisted artificial intelligence technology.” Those with verified identities will have a blue checkmark next to their names in a very Twitter-like fashion.

Users will also be armed with a Safety Center tool which provides information about how to stay safe. The company has plans to eventually personalize this guide to each individual, but right now, it is rolling out with the same information for everyone.

Lastly, in select markets, the application will inform users if offensive content was sent thanks to machine learning. If this type of message is detected, Tinder will prompt users with a question asking “Does this bother you?” and if they answer “yes,” they will be presented with the option to block the person. Likewise, if a user is sending offensive content, the app will ask them to verify if they really want to send the material.

All features have already begun rolling out and will continue to over the next few months. RGA

source: technology.inquirer.net

Dating app Tinder to move out of parent’s home

The popular mobile dating app Tinder will move out on its own next year in a spinoff announced Thursday by corporate parent IAC.

Tinder and its online dating siblings including PlentyOfFish, OkCupid and Hinge, which make up the Match Group, will be spun off as an independent company in 2020, according to an IAC statement.


“We’ve long said IAC is the ‘anti-conglomerate’ — we’re not empire builders,” said Barry Diller, chairman and senior executive of the holding company IAC.

“We’ve always separated out our businesses as they’ve grown in scale and maturity and soon Match Group, as the seventh spinoff, will join an impressive group of IAC progeny collectively worth $58 billion today.”

Tinder, known for giving users the option to “swipe” right or left to accept or reject a date, is the largest of the apps in Match Group with an estimated 57 million users worldwide.

The friendly breakup creating two separate public companies will give Match Group more flexibility while providing fresh capital to IAC, a media and entertainment group which also includes the Daily Beast, Dotdash Vimeo, Investopedia and HomeAdvisor.

“We’ve grown up tremendously over the last 20 years as part of IAC, from an innovator in a nascent category to a global leader in a fast-growing market with millions of users all over the world,” said Mandy Ginsberg, chief executive officer of Match Group. “Match Group is in an incredibly strong position as we enter this transaction and we are ready for the next chapter of the company’s journey.” RGA

source: business.inquirer.net

Tinder has a choose-your-own-adventure series in the works

Tinder recently wrapped production on an original TV series, which will debut shortly on the dating app, as per Variety.

Set against a looming apocalypse, the series asks the question, “Who would you spend your last night alive with?”


The show will upload directly to the Tinder app, and will use the app’s signature swiping feature as part of a choose-your-own-adventure style narrative. Users will be able to swipe right or left, similar to the app’s gestures to approve or reject a potential match, depending on how they want the story to progress.

The untitled six-episode show was shot to be viewed vertically on a smartphone.


Production on the series wrapped in Mexico City at the end of August; the project is helmed by music video director and actress Karena Evans, who has previously directed music videos for rapper Drake, including “In My Feelings” and “Nice For What”.

This is the app’s first attempt at producing and distributing original content. Last October, it launched a lifestyle website called Swipe Life with original content including articles and videos about relationships.


While the show will first air on Tinder, Variety‘s sources said that it might later appear on a streaming platform as well.

Netflix has also recently made a foray into the choose-your-own-adventure format, with 2018’s hugely successful “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch”. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Dating app Tinder finds gold at Apple’s App Store

Tinder for the first time became the top-grossing app in Apple’s online shop, topping the likes of Netflix, Pandora and hit mobile games like “Clash Royale.”

Tinder wore the crown as the top money-making app at the App Store, according to rankings posted online by market data firm App Annie on Friday.

Tinder, which made its debut five years ago, lets people swipe left or right on profiles to indicate those that they like as possible date partners.

The dating application’s ascension to the top came quickly after it announced this week the worldwide roll-out of a new “Gold” service with features including the ability of subscribers to see who out there has “liked” them.

Tinder Gold was described in a blog post as a “members-only service, offering our most exclusive features: Passport, Rewind, Unlimited Likes, five Super Likes per day” and more.

“Think of it as your personal Swipe Right concierge—available 24/7—bringing all of your pending matches to you,” Tinder said.

“Now you can sit back, enjoy a fine cocktail, and browse through profiles at your leisure.”

Tinder Gold made its debut at $4.99 a month, and was to be available on Android-powered smartphones in a month or so.

Tinder introduced a “Plus” subscription service in 2015 that freed users of a daily cap on the number of “swipes,” and has pursued ad revenue.

Tinder, owned by a Match Group subsidiary of IAC/InterActiveCorp, boasts some 50 million users and is reported to be valued at several billion dollars. JPV

source: technology.inquirer.net

Tinder survey bares naked truths about millennial dating

A fresh survey from one of the most popular dating apps on the planet has revealed some naked truths about the dating habits of the millennial set, by comparing experiences between online and offline daters.

The poll, which captured responses from over 9,000 men and women from the United States, compared and contrasted dating-related habits on and offline, and suggests there are some key differentiators around fidelity, communication, perception and mindfulness.

For example, according to the survey results, online daters are more faithful to their mates, with 93 percent of online daters reportedly noting “fidelity” as important in a relationship as opposed to offline daters (90 percent).

Opposing political views are also more of a “deal breaker” for online daters than those who date offline, according to the figures, with nearly 23 percent (or one in four) of Tinder users admitting that differing political ideologies would be their number-one reason to refuse a potential partner (via WWD).

For Tinder users, age and education were also voted the top two most important factors, with appearance ranking third when considering a potential date. The full report is available on Modern Dating Myths’ official website. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Survey results reveal dating, dining etiquette among Tinder generation

According to the results of a new dating and dining etiquette report, one in three singletons make up the Joey Tribbianis of the dating world: those who don’t share food.

If you identify with the “Friends” character, who famously “doesn’t share food,” date or no date, you may be part of the 31 percent of respondents in a Grubhub and Tinder survey, who said dates with sticky fingers who steal food off their plate would get a “scowl” of disapproval.

A more generous 69 percent of singletons, meanwhile, said they would be willing to push their plates closer to their date and share.

Results from the survey, which polled 2,000 people across the United States via the Tinder dating app, also suggest that dating and dining etiquette is breaking away from outmoded stereotypes with a new generation of Millennials dominating the dating scene.

For instance, when asked what kind of meal they’d order on a first date, the majority of respondents (62 percent) said they would opt for a heartier dish, compared to 38 percent, who said they prefer a lighter meal—a perhaps surprising result given jittery nerves and subdued appetites that normally come with first dates.

But with online dating and mobile swiping, it could be said that modern-day singletons are well-practiced speed daters and no longer feel the need to coyly hide their appetites in front of potential partners.

When it comes to picking up the tab, 36 percent of respondents said they’d rule out a second date if the other person didn’t offer to pay, while 64 percent said it’s a non-issue. No gender breakdown is offered.

And if you don’t know how to use chopsticks, best hide this handicap from your date, as more than half (56 percent) of respondents said seeing their date pick up sushi with a fork would be “cringe-worthy.”

The other half is more forgiving, however, and said it would be “adorable” to see.

Grubhub is an online and mobile take-out marketplace. JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

California man goes on 150 Tinder dates in just 4 months

Tinder has given its users a more convenient medium for potentially landing dates, but one man from California has admittedly been “swiping” way too much.

Sebastian Stadil, 32, hacked the famed dating app and came up with an algorithm that would automatically say yes to all of his Tinder matches.

In a span of just four months, the software engineer went on 150 dates, as his profile automatically said yes to 200,000 matches, an NBC report said.

“A very well crafted message doesn’t really get you any more responses than if you kind of just copy and pasted an answer,” Stadil said in the report, adding that normal dating was a “nightmare” for him, so he decided to hack the app instead.

His program also responded to every nearby female user in the Bay Area—all with previously crafted messages.

“So, I have reached an embarrassingly large number of people. I think the application swiped right on about 200,000 people,” Stadil said. “Little bit more than 10,000 messages. One-hundred-fifty first dates.”

If someone did not respond to Stadil, his program would automatically send another message, sometimes as many as seven a day, the report said.

Stadil’s ingenious creation proved to be quite a hit, as he claimed that his app resulted in 50 second dates and 17 third dates. He also said to have spent $6,000 during his romantic escapades.

“I have to admit, I did all this and kind of don’t have a long-term significant other as a result of this,” Stadil said.

Despite being unsuccessful on his quest for love, Stadil’s 150 dates did not leave him empty-handed.

“What I noticed is Asian-Americans tend to swipe right on me more frequently than the general population, which means I have some certain appeal there,” he said.

The software engineer added that he had no plans to monetize his invention, and intends to keep it for himself. Khristian Ibarrola

source: technology.inquirer.net