Iran Government Launches Dating App to Encourage Marriages

Iranian singles have a new state-approved dating app to help them find spouses, but so far, young people aren’t so excited about using it. The app is called Hamdan, which means “companion” in Persian, and was developed by a team from the Islamic Propaganda Organization.

According to the BBC, people living in Iran use dating apps, but Hamdan is the first app to be legally approved by the government. The app’s technology works like a regular dating app using AI to better understand what users are looking for and to help find matches, but the process goes beyond just matching. The app says it is “only for bachelors seeking permanent marriage,” according to reports.

Users can’t just sign up – they first have to verify their identity and undergo a psychological test before they can use the app. And when a match is found, there is a more circuitous route to actually meeting each other in person. The app introduces families, not just the singles who match, and it also provides a so-called “service consultant” to not only introduce the families, but “accompany” the couple even after they get married, for a period of four years.

Hamdan doesn’t use photos, according to The Washington Post. The app’s website FAQs stated: “We have experienced many times in matching that the photo was not a good reason to reject or accept anyone. What is achieved in a face-to-face meeting is much more complete than a soulless photograph.”

This is an interesting move for a very socially conservative country. Iran criminalizes sexual relationships outside of marriage, so the app opens a door for those seeking to abide by the country’s laws while they are looking for a partner.

The app’s debut comes after an alarming report on the state of marriage and divorce in Iran – while there were 307,000 marriages that took place in the country in 2020, there were also 99,600 divorces, according to BBC. On top of that, there are declining birth rates in the country and people are waiting until they are older to get married.

The government is looking to incentivize young people to get married and have families as a result of these statistics. Iran officials proposed a law to offer significant financial incentives for those who choose to get married and have more than two children, including health insurance for infertile couples, educational opportunities for mothers who want to attend school or university, and free medical services to pregnant women. The law is scheduled to be reviewed by the Guardian Council, which is part of the Ayatollah’s regime which checks that proposed laws are compatible with Islamic law and with Iran’s constitution, according to Al-Jazeera.

According to The New York Times, the app just launched and is already flailing, as young people are not eager about the idea of the state overseeing their dating prospects.