Australia

Online dating service eHarmony announced the launch of its new “Real Love” ad campaign, featuring candid moments of couples finding love in everyday, real life scenarios that will be broadcast on key media outlets across the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

There will be a total of seven ads according to the company’s press release, with the first three launching immediately. 

Each ad is a different scenario of love blossoming, the first of two women laughing after trying a new recipe that doesn’t taste so good, which leads to sharing a carton of ice cream and cozying up on the couch. Another features a young woman on eHarmony’s app who is messaging and sharing silly photos of herself with a love interest, with the narrator explaining that real love is “letting someone see every side of you” and “knowing you could be yourself.” The third ad shows a man surprising his date with a romantic setting of glowing red lanterns lining a patio, with a narrator saying “real love is making moments that last forever.”

Tinder Split Screen Video Chat

Image: Tinder

Popular dating app Tinder launched its new in-app video chat feature in early July called Face to Face, but only in select markets.

Face to Face users have access to video call each other through the dating app and avoid exchanging personal numbers, which is a good step for overall user security. There are a few other privacy measures that Tinder is including in the rollout – namely that two people have to agree to a video chat before it can actually happen, according to The Verge.

The Australian Consumer Agency Choice has filed an official complaint against popular dating app Tinder for secret multiple pricing levels for its Tinder Plus premium service based on a user’s personal data, including gender, sexual preference, and age.

The complaint was filed with ACCC, the national consumer commission in Australia, according to Mashable. It’s been no secret that Tinder has charged higher prices for Tinder Plus to users over the age of 30, but this is the first time the public has learned of multi-level pricing based on personal data, and the wide range of pricing – from AUD$6.99 to AUD$34. Tinder offered no transparency about their pricing up front, so many users are probably still unaware they are being charged more if they are over 30, or LQBTQ+, or if they are male, for example.

Dating and social app Stitch has seen a growth of new users as people around the world began to isolate at home. The app is geared towards adults over 50 who are looking for community as well as a date.

Stitch is a non-profit focused on helping older adults address loneliness and social isolation, a growing problem as the virus continues to spread. Stitch notes that if you’re over 60 and experiencing loneliness, it has the same negative impact on health outcomes as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And while Stitch markets itself primarily as a social app for making friends, it also allows people to meet potential dates.

Older adults are most impacted by the coronavirus and are reaching out to new people online more than ever. Stitch has seen its membership rise to 150,000 members in the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Bumble is joining forces with Marie Claire Australia to launch the Glass Ceiling Awards, a celebration of powerful women in business who are breaking gender barriers and furthering equality in the workplace. The awards, scheduled to be held on June 19 in Sydney, will be presented in conjunction with Estée Lauder Companies.

Nominees will compete in eight prize categories for individuals and businesses:

Toffee, the UK-based dating app aimed exclusively at privately-educated singles, is beginning its international expansion with Australia. The app was widely criticized as elitist when it launched in the UK last April, but shows no sign of slowing down in the face of controversy. Toffee will become available for Android users in September, followed by the Australia launch in November. Additional international rollouts are planned over the next 12 months.

Founder Lydia Davis insists Toffee was not born out of snobbery. “I’ve found that people from similar backgrounds tend to stick together,” she told Vogue earlier this year. “It was never our intention to be elitist. Schooling is a big part of people’s lives – 10 years of their childhood. It doesn’t define them, but it is part of their identity. It’s just one of many things people might have in common.”