Industry

Virtual Dating Increases in Popularity

Popular dating apps Tinder and Bumble have not seen a drop-off of users since the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic and people began isolating at home; in fact, user activity has spiked over the past few weeks.

Roughly 25 percent of Americans have been ordered to stay home and avoid gathering with others according to a report by CNBC. But dating app users aren’t letting this deter them – instead, they are opting for virtual dates as they work from home and isolate from others.

A report from Mother Jones said that from March 12-22, Bumble saw a 21% increase in messaging among Seattle users, one of the first cities affected by the growth and spread of the virus. Two other hot spots, New York and San Francisco, saw a 23% and 26% surge in messaging, respectively. A total of 87 million people use the app worldwide.

Coronavirus is affecting everyone around the world, and dating apps are pivoting to address the situation as it impacts their users.

Tinder has already put ads on its app that link to the CDC website with helpful tips on hand washing and social distancing. Grinder has also issued warnings to its users about practicing safe hygiene. 

OkCupid has seen an increase in use and has added some conversational prompts related to coronavirus, since that’s what daters want to talk about the most, especially in areas like New York where the virus has hit hard.

A committee from the U.S. House of Representatives is investigating popular dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble and OkCupid following a report that found underage users and sex offenders were using the apps.

According to a report from AP, the House Oversight and Reform subcommittee on economic and consumer policy sent separate letters on Thursday January 30th to Bumble, Grindr, The Meet Group, and Match Group (which owns Tinder and OkCupid among others). The letters asked for information on “users’ ages, procedures for verifying ages, and any complaints about assaults, rape or the use of the services by minors,” according to AP.

The subcommittee is also seeking additional information on privacy policies for each of the apps, and what users see when they are asked to review or accept such policies. Recently, dating apps have also come under fire for third-party sharing of personal data, where user information wouldn’t be protected by the dating app’s own privacy policy.

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.

Match Groups CEO Mandy Ginsberg

Match Group CEO Mandy Ginsberg has announced she will step down from her role at the company for health and personal reasons.

The news comes as Match Group is in process of separating from its parent company IAC, which is expected to close in Q2 of this year. Shar Dubey, Match Group’s president, will take over for Ginsberg starting March 1st.

According to The New York Post, Ginsberg told Match Group employees the news in an email, citing personal and health reasons for her departure. She described a “personally trying” period according to reports. These included a recent surgery correcting a previous double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer as she was diagnosed with the BRCA1 gene, as well as a tornado slamming into her Dallas home, rendering it unlivable. Ginsberg is stepping back to take care of her health and her family.

Dating app Grindr, currently owned by Chinese company Kunlun Tech, might be off the market soon thanks to a bid by the Milan-based app design company Bending Spoons.

According to Global Dating Insights, Bending Spoons has offered $260 million for the popular gay dating app, headquartered in West Hollywood. Reports are also linking investment firm H14 to the deal, which is headed up by Barbara, Eleonora, and Luigi Berlusconi, children of Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. The app’s original founder Joel Simkhai sold his company for $93 million to Kunlun Tech in 2016.