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Bumble on TikTok

Bumble has turned to TikTok to help drive new subscribers, and has seen its installs increase five times between March and May when their campaign took place. The dating app has also seen its costs per subscriber decrease by 64% since running its direct response ads on TikTok’s platform, according to Mobile Marketer.

Bumble employed influencers to raise awareness of its app, creating content that would attract new users, specifically the younger demographic that gravitates to video-based social media like TikTok. The partnership was a success, with Bumble reporting revenue last month that was second only to dating app Tinder. 

A new survey from dating app Luxy found that American online daters differ from daters in other countries in terms of how they feel about current political leaders and whether or not they want to talk about politics on dating apps.

According to Luxy, which markets itself to elite and affluent daters, 54% of American online daters surveyed said they would talk about politics on a dating app, compared to only 36% of respondents from other countries. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed from outside the U.S. said they never discuss politics on a dating app.

To understand how online daters are faring in the midst of the many crises happening right now, including the coronavirus, the protests, and the economic recession, Luxy asked users both in the U.S. and outside the U.S. how they feel about 2020 so far. Luxy found that 40% of Americans are finding this year to be “extremely bad” or “quite hard,” compared to only 23% of those surveyed from other countries.

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 U.S. government is cracking down on potential online security risks by banning dating, gaming and bitcoin mining apps from phones issued to those serving in the U.S. Marines.

The Marine Corps already has strict guidance in place for what apps can be installed on their servicemembers’ phones, according to Military.com. But now officials have issued a notice for its members to delete any apps that are considered a risk, specifically those that can access photos, videos, contacts, microphone, location or calendar. Most dating apps are able to access at least some of these from their users’ phones.

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.

Match Group announced that it had exceeded Wall Street revenue expectations for Q2 despite concern over drops in paying subscribers and a la carte services in April, as coronavirus began to spread through the U.S. The company also saw its stock tick up in value immediately following this news.

Match Group reported second quarter earnings that grew 15% year over year, and an 18% increase in subscribers year over year. Their earnings report also shows an increase in subscribers and downloads over pre-pandemic levels, and according to Business Insider, paid subscriptions are also back to the same level as before.