A New York City task force on cyber sexual assault has discovered more than 70,000 photos of Tinder users on an online cyber-crime forum. Aaron DeVera, a member of the task force, told reporters that the images were found on a site known for trading in malicious software and that only female users appear to have been targeted.

Gizomodo was the first outlet to share the news. According to the original report, the photos were accompanied by a text file containing around 16,000 unique Tinder user IDs. Items found in the photos, like the iPhone X, and metadata indicate that many of the pictures are relatively current — some, in fact, have timestamps dated as recent as October 2019. The availability of this information to cybercriminals raises serious concerns about why it was collected and what it could be used for.

We’ve all seen a rom-com meet-cute. A soon-to-be couple accidentally touches hands while reaching for the same item at a grocery store. Or ends up covered in coffee when one person literally runs into the other on their walk into work. Or gets into an argument during a minor case of road rage. The best meet-cutes in movies happen under dubious circumstances, often at the most awkward or embarrassing moments of the characters lives.

In real life, most of us would prefer to meet our future partners under better conditions, and thanks to online dating, these love-at-first-site meetings are becoming a thing of the past. According to an article published by Stanford University in 2019, matchmaking is now done primarily by algorithms. Today’s heterosexual singles are more likely to meet a romantic partner online than through personal connections. But is that actually what we want?

This is a summary of the awards and their recipients for the 13^th annual Dating Sites Reviews Choice Awards. These awards honor the best dating apps and sites of 2019 in 11 different categories and where handed out starting this new year in January and continued through to February 14^th (Valentines Day). The dating services listed below are the ones worth checking out in 2020 for those interesting in participating in online dating to find a partner.

Our top award is the Single's Choice Award which is decided by our readers. To participate all you had to do was cast a vote in our poll which ran from October 1^st 2019 until December 31^st 2019. The poll asks you to recommend your choice for the top dating service (app and/or site) from a selection of the ten leading dating services on the internet. The top three dating services who receives the most votes will be the recipient of a Gold, Silver, and Bronze award.

Single's Choice Award

Recipient Tinder

The recipient of the Gold Single's Choice Award for 2020 is Tinder. This dating app is most popular with singles in their twenties and thirties (all age groups are present on the service). Thanks to Tinder's continued innovation in the dating space and their addition of features users are actually looking for, this dating service will continue to remain a leader for the foreseeable future.

For full award information see the article: 2020 Dating Sites Reviews Single's Choice Award

Recipient POF

The Silver Single's Choice Award recipient for 2020 is POF (or Plenty of Fish). POF has been in business for over 15 years and was the first free dating service to become really popular (when most at the time were paid). This dating service offers a little bit of everything from swiping to find matches with Meet Me, to using Ultra Match which is a detailed Behavioural Matchmaking System.

For full award information see the article: 2020 Dating Sites Reviews Single's Choice Award

Recipient Match

The recipient of the Bronze Single's Choice Award for 2020 is Match (Match.com). The originally grand daddy of dating sites has been going strong for over 20 years. This past year Match went back to the basics when they updated their service. Things are now much simpler to find and use on the apps and website. Match is currently most popular among singles aged 40 and older.

For full award information see the article: 2020 Dating Sites Reviews Single's Choice Award

Image: OkCupid

OkCupid launched a new provocative ad campaign called “Ask Yourself,” which focuses on questions that can serve as deal-breakers to younger daters. The campaign doesn’t shy away from getting political, since the majority of its customers are most interested in partners that align with them politically.

The campaign includes illustrated outdoor posters that feature the most popular topics discussed among OkCupid users. For example one poster states: “It’s OK not to date a man who won’t vote for a woman” and “It’s OK to choose to only date someone who’s pro-choice.” It also features animations and a series of polls for Instagram stories, gauging people’s opinions on a wide range of topics from light to serious - such as thoughts on body hair, climate change, and Trump’s impeachment.

UK-based dating app Butterfly, catering specifically to transgendered daters, has just launched in India, according to Quartz.

India is becoming a hot market for the dating app industry and is a big focus for Match Group and Bumble, who have launched high-profile campaigns to promote their dating apps in the country, including investing in celebrity partnerships and hiring regional managers. 

However, transgendered daters are finding it hard to find love on dating apps, especially in India, even as they take off.

Bond Touch Bracelets

Online dating has given us wonderful things and terrible things, and some things that are wonderful and terrible at the same time. It allows us to connect with potential partners all over the world (wonderful), but it also opens us to the possibility of falling in love with a perfect match who lives hours, miles or even oceans away (terrible). Despite what they say about absence and the heart growing fonder, and the ever-expanding number of communication tools that claim to bring us closer, long-distance relationships are hard.

Entrepreneurs are eager to find ways to help couples stay connected no matter where they are in the world. Bond Touch bracelets use haptic technology to let you and your dearest physically feel each other, even when you’re apart. When you touch your bracelet, your partner’s matching bracelet vibrates and lights up in the color of your choice, letting them know they’re on your mind. Bond Touch bracelets are waterproof up to three feet, with a battery life of up to four days and a variety of accessory bands that can be swapped to customize your style.