Gay dating app Grindr was fined $7.16 million (65 million kroner) by Norway’s Internet watchdog agency for violating the privacy rights of its users.

According to ABC News, The Norwegian Data Protection Authority said that Grindr had shared the sensitive personal data of its users, including sexual orientation, to hundreds of potential advertising partners without their consent. 

It’s not the first time Grindr has been accused of violating privacy rights by the watchdog. In 2020, it filed a complaint against Grindr not only because of sensitive data that was shared with third parties, but also because it shared IP addresses and GPS locations, which could identify individual users. 

Bumble says that singles are turning to dating apps more than ever, evidenced by its recent finding that over a billion matches were made on its app in 2021, a 25 percent increase from the previous year.

The dating app also shared that over 9 billion messages were exchanged globally, up nearly 40 percent from 2020, showing that dating app usage during lockdowns wasn’t a temporary thing. Rather, once restrictions lifted, people were more eager to login to the app and start looking for matches as well as virtual date, and were also eager to use dating apps to get back out there and meet matches in real life.  

Bumble said that the highest number of message exchanges were between October and early November, just prior to the holiday season. It’s also worth noting that this was just prior to the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant of Covid, which has led to global lockdowns and restrictions once again. Still, the company doesn’t see things slowing down as we enter into dating’s “high season,” between New Year’s and Valentine’s Day.

Dating app Bumble is changing the look of profiles and giving an upgrade to its algorithm to provide a better online dating experience for its users.

The female-focused dating app unveiled its new look in early December. The update prioritizes a person’s pronouns and interests after their primary photo, and according to Axios Austin, this move will help users more easily identify potential matches.

The algorithm changes are aimed at creating a more curated experience. The app will now provide users with recommendations for which picture should be front and center in your profile, which the company said from early reports has already led to more matches. Bumble’s AI technology is also learning more preferences based on user behavior, noting that curating matches this way has helped people spend more time looking at each profile, an indication of heightened interest among users.

Online dating can be time consuming, but it can also lead to burnout when matches are looking for different things, according to a new study by dating app Badoo.

The dating app surveyed its users and found that 78 percent can relate to experiencing burnout from dating, and that it can often feel like a chore because of mismatched intentions about what they are looking for. Dating fatigue happens a lot when dates aren’t honest about what they want from a romantic connection, according to Metro UK.

In addition to the feeling of wasted time spent dating people who aren’t so compatible, there’s also a cost - daters spend roughly 285 GBP per year on what are ultimately failed dates, and on average, daters have about six bad dates per year.

Tinder has debuted a slew of new features, and the latest is Music Mode, which automatically plays a user’s chosen “anthem” in their profiles, putting music preferences front and center to attract potential matches.

According to Tech Crunch, the new feature will play your chosen song in a 30-second loop while people scan your profile. Music Mode integrates with Spotify, so when members link to their Spotify accounts and set their anthems, they will be able to access Music Mode.

The feature will be found via the company’s new Explore section which offers a more interactive dating app experience. This is where users can search people according to interests and strike up conversations immediately, do a round of virtual speed dating or attend a virtual event. Tinder is focusing on this section of the app for younger daters who want a more interesting, immersive experience on dating platforms.

The Bumble Shop

Bumble is moving into the online retail business by opening its first store and selling Bumble-branded apparel.

The Bumble Shop will offer a collection of t-shirts, hats, sweaters, accessories and games, according to WWD, and will be available for purchase at shop.Bumble.com. Featured items will include a varsity sweater, a bucket hat with the company’s tagline of “make the first move” in the lining, pronoun keychains, and a Question Game card game to help people connect by moving past small talk and into deeper conversations.

The Bumble Shop partnered with retro California lifestyle brand Aviator Nation to offer custom limited edition items as well, including the Ninja Hoodie, Ninja sweatpants, and Classic Truck Hat. These will be co-branded and available for purchase on the new site. Bumble plans to offer new collections quarterly, and Aviator Nation is its first clothing partner. Multiple sizes are available as well, ranging from XS to 4XL.