Downward Angle Symbol A symbol in the form of an angle pointing downwards. Stock image of a frustrated woman using a mobile phone while sitting on a sofa. Getty Images
- The operator of the dating platforms Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid is being sued.
- Six plaintiffs claim the company designed the apps to be addictive and put profit over love.
- Hinge's marketing promise that the app is “designed for deletion” is false, the lawsuit says.
The operator of dating platforms Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid is being sued over claims it makes its apps addictive and puts profit over love.
In a class action lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, six plaintiffs said the platforms intentionally created addictive, game-like design features to trap users in an endless “pay-to-play loop.” to bind.
They claimed that Match Group, the parent company, actively portrays the platforms as “effective tools” for building relationships outside of the app, while making every effort to attract, retain and reward paying subscribers online.
It does this through a variety of means, the lawsuit says, including promoting expensive subscriptions and persistent usage, creating, developing and promoting psychologically manipulative product features, and pressuring users to purchase a subscription.
Match also misrepresents the designs, makes false promises to consumers and continues to market the platforms without disclosing their harmful addictive uses, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit also cited Hinge's market promise that the app was “designed for deletion.”
The company's failure to disclose to users the platform's “intentionally” addictive design violates consumer protection and other laws in various states, the lawsuit says.
Match Group did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
NPR was first to report the lawsuit.
Speaking to the outlet, a spokesperson for Match Group denied the allegations, saying the case was “ridiculous and has no merit whatsoever.”
“Our business model is not based on advertising or engagement metrics,” they said, adding: “We actively strive to get people dating every day and keep them off our apps. Anyone who says otherwise does not understand the purpose and mission of our app as a whole industry.”
Match Group owns the world's largest portfolio of popular online dating services, including Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, OurTime and other dating brands, according to its website.
In 2023, total revenue rose 6% to about $3.4 billion, Match Group said in a letter to shareholders, while profitability was at record levels in the fourth quarter of 2023 for the second quarter in a row, it said .
The group has hundreds of millions of reported users on its platforms, according to its latest business overview published in August 2023.
The six plaintiffs are seeking financial repayment of the premium fees they paid to the platforms, as well as an injunction to force the company to stop its unlawful practices, according to the lawsuit.