Match.com

Match.com released an official statement regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s allegations that the dating service exposed consumers to the risk of fraud and engaged in other deceptive and unfair business practices.

In a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Texas, the FTC alleges that Match used fake notifications to trick users into upgrading to premium subscriptions and that the company deceived consumers by failing to provide clear disclosures and cancellation practices. Match has denied the allegations, claiming that the issues pointed out by the FTC have “either been taken grossly out of context or permanently eliminated by Match.”

The Federal Trade Commission announced it is suing Match Group for using fake notifications to trick users into paying for subscriptions to Match.com. The FTC also alleges that Match Group unfairly exposed consumers to the risk of fraud and engaged in other allegedly deceptive and unfair practices to induce users to subscribe and keep them subscribed to the dating service.

Match.com allows users to create a profile and use some of the platform’s features for free. However, users are prohibited from responding to messages from admirers unless they upgrade to a higher membership tier with a subscription fee. According to the FTC’s complaint, Match sent misleading advertisements to users with free accounts stating that someone had expressed interest in them and encouraging them to subscribe to the service to view the message and the identity of its sender. Many users purchased subscriptions as a result of these deceptive ads, believing they were going to communicate with a real user who could be “the one.”

In 1994, visionary entrepreneur Gary Kremen used a $2,500 loan to create Match.com. Only 5 percent of Americans were using the internet at the time - and even fewer were using it to find love - but Match.com became the world’s first online dating service. More than 20 years later, it’s still one of the industry’s biggest and most dynamic players.

Though Kremen’s name may not be as famous as Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, his influence on the internet is immense. Author and award-winning journalist David Kushner chronicled the rise of Kremen and Match.com in The Players Ball: A Genius, a Con Man, and the Secret History of the Internet’s Rise. Less than six months after Kushner’s book was released, it’s set to get the Hollywood treatment with a small screen adaptation.

Study on Access to Personal Info by Dating Apps

Image: datingroo

Dating app users often don’t realize how much personal information they are giving away just by signing up. But Datingroo, a U.K.-based online dating research company, has released a new study that shows exactly how little privacy most dating app users have.

Datingroo studied the ten most popular dating apps from Tinder to PlentyofFish to eHarmony, examining 45 personal data access points in 13 categories such as precise location, other accounts on the device, network connections, and modification or deletion of the contents on USB storage, and found some surprising results.

Among all the apps, Badoo and PlentyofFish have access to the most data in user’s devices (92% of all access points studied). Combined, they have more than 522 million users worldwide, which means they have access to an enormous amount of information. Coffee Meets Bagel has the fewest users (7 million), as well as the least data access.

Match’s Singles in America survey, now in its ninth year, is the nation's largest and most comprehensive annual scientific study of single men and women across the United States. This year, Match polled over 5,000 singles about their current attitudes around sex and dating, the their response to the #MeToo movement, and how singles of all ages are changing the way they look for love.

"Modern love, sex and romance are thriving in America—from Millennials to seniors. The current fear that the young don’t care about love and commitment is just plain wrong. They are simply having a hard time finding it and feeling burnt out by the search,” says Dr. Helen Fisher, biological anthropologist and Chief Science Advisor to Match. “Moreover, this year’s Singles in America study gives a first-of-its-kind look at the positive impact the #MeToo movement has had on single men — on dates and in the office.”

Singles still want love and they’re optimistic about their chances of finding it. According to the survey:

Technology has made it easier than ever to connect with singles around the world, but it has introduced its own set of questions and complications to the dating process. Match’s new service, AskMatch, aims to help curious, confused and clueless users navigate online dating by making a team of dedicated dating coaches available for one-on-one phone sessions.

Unlike the AI chatbots found on other apps, AskMatch coaches are live humans with professional resumes. Members can consult these experts for guidance, actionable tips or a sympathetic ear by selecting the “Talk to a coach” option under the “Discover” tab of the app. After the phone call, members can choose to remain in contact with their coach through the app to ask further questions or provide progress updates.