Online Dating

Another day, another privacy scandal for Facebook.

A new investigation by TechCrunch reveals that Facebook secretly paid a number of users, including teenagers as young as 13, to install an app that gave the tech giant extensive access to their personal data. Users ages 13 to 35 were paid up to $20 per month plus affiliate fees to install the iOS or Android “Facebook Research” VPN app that tracked their smartphone and web activity, a program referred to in some documentation as “Project Atlas.”

Online dating company eHarmony, who built its reputation for more serious daters, was recently acquired by German media company ProSeibenSat.1. The media company are the producers behind “Married at First Sight,” and have already expanded beyond television with the acquisition of Parship Elite Group, an online dating platform for long-term relationships similar to eHarmony.

It left many wondering what future plans were for eHarmony, which has seen competition lately from apps like Tinder and OkCupid, and how Parship fits into the mix.

Online Personals Watch recently interviewed Tim Schiffers, the CEO of Parship Elite Group about the acquisitions and Parship’s future plans. Schiffers said Parship plans to bring eHarmony to its platform instead of offering competing services. “We have invested a lot into our technical setup over the past few years and are happy to harness synergies in that area.”

Tinder has agreed to pay $17 million in a settlement resulting from a class-action lawsuit accusing the popular dating app company of age discrimination. The lawsuit alleged that Tinder charged users who were 30 years old and older more money for the same services, a move that caused the company to come under fire when the pricing structure was first announced.

As a result of the settlement, Tinder also agreed to stop charging people different prices based on their ages, but only in California where the lawsuit was filed.

Tinder’s premium service offers members additional features separate from the free version of the app, like the chance to “rewind” previously passed-on matches, to match with people in different countries while traveling, and the ability to “Super Like” matches in an effort to get their attention. Tinder was criticized when it charged a $9.99 monthly fee for users under 29 and $19.99 for users 30 and up for access to these premium features.

The online dating wars just got uglier. Match Group and its owner, IAC/InterActiveCorp, have filed a lawsuit accusing Tinder co-founder and former CEO Sean Rad of stealing company files and other proprietary information. The lawsuit claims at least $250 million in damages.

The last few years have been tumultuous for Rad and Tinder. After Whitney Wolfe Herd, a fellow co-founder of Tinder, filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the company in 2014, Rad stepped down as CEO. Herd went on to found Bumble. Rad returned as CEO of Tinder six months after vacating the position. He stepped aside as CEO for good to become Tinder's chairman in 2016.

In August 2018, a group of current and former Tinder employees, including Rad, filed a lawsuit against IAC. The suit alleges that IAC intentionally undervalued Tinder to reduce the value of stock options held by early employees and founders. “Through deception, bullying, and outright lies, IAC/Match stole billions of dollars from the Tinder employees,” the lawsuit reads. “IAC/Match cooked the books to manufacture a fake lowball valuation of Tinder.” The plaintiffs are seeking at least $2 billion in damages.

INTO, the online LGBTQ publication owned and operated by Grindr, is no more. The company ended the digital magazine’s 14-month run by terminating its editorial staff on January 15 and announcing a pivot to video.

Grindr launched INTO in August 2017. The website featured news articles, op-eds, lifestyle content and advice columns for a modern LGBTQ audience. The launch was part of a larger effort to reframe Grindr as a lifestyle brand, not “just” a dating app, but the outlet’s journalism was praised and went on to win awards from The Association of LGBTQ Journalists and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.

In a statement shared with NBC News, a Grindr spokesperson called the decision to dismiss INTO's staff a "strategic shift in focus."

Bumble confirmed that a new ad featuring its latest celebrity partner Serena Williams will debut during the first half of the SuperBowl.

According to AdWeek, Bumble teased a new campaign with the tennis star, admitting that it would coordinate with the SuperBowl, though it wasn’t clear if they were planning to air an ad during the game, one of the most-watched annual events in the U.S. (and one of the most expensive ad buys). Bumble has now confirmed their first SuperBowl ad will feature Serena Williams and their new campaign “The Ball is in Her Court.”

Bumble, a female-friendly dating app, is serious about its female-empowerment mission. Over the past few years, the brand has debuted offerings that appeal specifically to women, such as partnering with Moxy Hotels to offer BumbleSpot – verified locations where Bumble users can meet for dates, career networking, or potential new friendships - in an effort to create safe spaces for women.