United States

Dating app Bumble has announced it will donate a “high six-figure commitment” to the National Domestic Violence Hotline’s new “love is respect” initiative, which aims to empower young people to end abusive relationships. According to news site Built in Austin, the partnership will continue for a three-year period, building on the $100,000 donation Bumble made to the organization back in March. 

When the pandemic progressed and stay at home orders went into effect, many women were placed at risk, because they were essentially trapped with their abusers. Domestic violence is a problem in the U.S., where guns are pervasive and far too often women are the victims in domestic assaults.

OkCupid is launching a new campaign dubbed “VILF” to engage users with the upcoming elections and to add a fun and risqué twist.

The dating app will provide a VILF badge users can display on their profiles to attract people who want to talk about politics, and to show their engagement with GOTV, or get out the vote. This year is a politically charged one in the U.S. with the Presidential election around the corner, and activists want to make sure people are registered to vote and that they cast their ballots.

A new study by dating app Hinge found that since coronavirus lockdowns began, people are dating more and ghosting less often than before.

The company surveyed users about their dating habits since they have been sheltering at home in the wake of the coronavirus spread, and found that 27% reported ghosting less often than they did before the pandemic. In contrast, a 63% majority of those surveyed admitted to ghosting people before the pandemic.

OkCupid Study on Politics and Dating

Image: OkCupid

If you’re looking to improve your dating options, you might want to register to vote, at least if you’re an OkCupid user. 

The famously provocative dating app conducted a study among its users and found that they tend to be more politically engaged, and therefore want their dates to be too, especially during an important election year in the U.S. A whopping seventy-six percent surveyed said that how their dates lean politically is important. OkCupid users consider voting a very important practice – and over 500,000 of its users said they wouldn’t consider dating someone who didn’t vote. 

Ninety-one percent of women and 89% of men surveyed said they are registered to vote. In fact, the study found that registered voters on OkCupid are 85% more likely to get a message than non-registered voters, which is one of the reasons OkCupid now offers a voting badge feature to attach to your profile for easy identification. Registered voters are also 63% more likely to get a match.

OkCupid Voter 2020 Badge

Image: OkCupid

Several popular dating apps including OkCupid, Tinder and Bumble are encouraging their users to vote through in-app promotions, according to The Hill.

As election season in the U.S. gets underway, many grassroots organizations are asking volunteers to make sure all eligible people, especially first-time voters, register to vote. Many non-profit groups are hoping to capture the attention of young people and get them excited about voting, and one of the strategies is to engage dating app users.

Campaign staffers working for Democratic candidates were warned this week that they could be targeted by bad actors through dating apps. According to CNN who broke the story, the staffers were told to “swipe carefully” because any personal information they share through profiles, photos, or even their messages could be hacked in order to get information on them or their campaigns.

"We're received reports that opposition groups may be trying to 'sting' or infiltrate Democratic campaigns or organizations through dating sites," the warning read.