Religion

A group of conservative Catholics based in Colorado spent millions to buy tracking data from dating apps to identify gay priests, and then shared the information with regional Bishops.

The Washington Post, which broke the story, noted that the purchasing and use of the data is legal, and is “emblematic of a new surveillance frontier in which private individuals can potentially track other Americans’ locations and activities using commercially available information.”

The Post heard audio recordings of executive members discussing the organization’s mission and this particular project. Jayd Henricks, the group’s president, did not respond to questions from the Post, but instead posted an article on the website First Things saying he was proud to be part of the group, and that the purpose was to “help the Church be holy…” He also wrote that the group has conducted other research, but did not provide details.

Dating app Bumble has launched a new series of videos catering to countries within the Asian-Pacific (APAC) market, specifically India, Singapore, and The Philippines, to lessen the stigma surrounding its dating app premise: that women make the first move.

APAC countries, especially India, are fast-growing markets for dating apps as younger daters opt for technology over traditional dating methods like matchmaking. However, approaches to dating and matchmaking vary greatly between countries according to Lucille McCart, communications director for Bumble APAC said in an interview with The Drum. For example, religion and religious customs are more important in Singapore and the Philippines compared to markets like Australia and New Zealand.

As a result, Bumble has launched new videos catering to specific markets. The videos for Singapore and the Philippines are called “It Starts With Hello,” designed to create more levels of comfort for women starting a chat over the app. “In Singapore, 87% of people surveyed believed that men should take the lead and only 7% said that this is what is expected of women. Things are slowly changing in this regard, and Bumble is here to advocate for further progress,” McCart told The Drum.

Match’s annual Singles in America study found that one in five singles are hesitant to have sex in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which protected abortion rights for women across the country. Singles are also changing their habits due to the rising costs associated with dating.

Match found that four out of every five respondents have adjusted their behavior as a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling, including increasing their use of condoms and having a greater fear of getting pregnant.

The survey found that seven in ten singles still maintain that sex is a good thing and improves their mental health, and 71 percent feel better after having sex. Still, they are more hesitant to have sex because of the Supreme Court decision. Many states are enacting legislation to either restrict or ban abortions altogether, placing more of a burden on single women who are of child-bearing age to seek medical care.

Filteroff, a new dating app that targets communities of singles, offers virtual speed dating events to set itself apart from traditional swiping apps like Tinder.

The app launched a series of speed dating events specifically for Orthodox Jewish singles starting August 30th, where participants can join from the comfort of their own couches. Each couple is given three minutes to chat over the app, with the option to keep chatting if they connect, or move on to the next.

Other Filteroff virtual speed dating events have been targeted towards vegans, dog lovers, or even Yankee fans, providing services to concentrated communities of singles who have specific needs for matchmaking, according to news site Forward. Events for Jewish singles are meant to compete directly for users of popular Jewish dating app JDate, along with other niche apps.

Hinge announced a new feature called Not-so-Frequently Asked Questions to help its users discuss sensitive topics when they aren’t quite sure how to approach the subject.

The new feature is designed with LGBTQ+ daters in mind according to Gizmodo, and aims to help answer the questions many people have but that they are afraid to ask, like questions around substance abuse, gender identity, or even how to set up a date with your ex’s ex.

Some personal subjects have traditionally been off limits when you are first meeting someone or striking up a conversation over a dating app, but Hinge wants to change this. Important topics require discussion up front before delving into a new relationship – like questions about faith, substance abuse, sexual identity, and sexual exploration. Plus, discussing personal topics honestly helps people better connect, which is one of Hinge’s main promises.

Bumble and Match Group’s female CEOs have spoken out against new legislation in Texas banning access to abortions and have offered to cover travel costs to help employees get care in other states, and Citigroup’s female CEO has announced her company will do the same.

Over the past several months, Republican-led states including Texas have been passing an array of new extreme anti-abortion laws, including narrowing the abortion care window down to a six-week period before a woman typically knows she’s pregnant, allowing citizens to sue those who help someone get an abortion, and even outlawing abortions for ectopic pregnancies, which are not viable and put the mother at risk. States are enacting these laws in anticipation of the Supreme Court chipping away at existing protections later this year, notably Roe v. Wade.

Match Group and Bumble have headquarters in Texas, where some of the most restrictive state legislation in regard to abortion access has taken place in recent months.