Company Behind Popular Dating Apps Sued Over Addictive Use

A lawsuit against Match Group claims that dating apps promote addictive use. Tinder, Hinge, and other Match dating apps are filled with addictive features that encourage “compulsive” use, the proposed class-action lawsuit, filed on Valentine’s Day, claims.

The lawsuit alleges that Match’s “predatory” business model defrauds those looking for love. It says that the app rewards the compulsive use of its platforms.

The complaint filed in federal court in San Francisco claims the app’s “undisclosed defective design” is intended to erode the user’s ability to disengage from the platforms. It turns users into “addicts who will purchase ever-more expensive subscriptions to unlock unlimited and other ‘special’ features which are not designed to deliver on Match’s marketing promises, but instead to further addict and forever entrench users in the app.

Reuters received a statement from Match refuting claims of addictive use and features that cause Match’s users to pay more money for added features. “This lawsuit is ridiculous and has zero merit,” Match stated. “Our business model is not based on advertising or engagement metrics. We actively strive to get people on dates every day and off our apps. Anyone who states anything else doesn’t understand the purpose and mission of our entire industry.”

Six plaintiffs in New York, California, Georgia, and Florida brought the suit.

There may be some validity to the suit. The dating site eharmony conducted a study in the United Kingdom, reporting that seven out of 10 British people online are addicted to dating apps. It reveals that half of dating app users utilize them with “insincere intentions — they aren’t really looking for a relationship.” A quarter of users join for an ego boost, the study shows. 

The study also claims that when a user is having multiple conversations with multiple people, it makes it difficult to make meaningful connections.  

Acenda Integrated Health reports that dating apps can negatively impact users in three key ways. The study claims they promote stress and anxiety, cause poor body image, and, finally, lower self-esteem. Thus, it is advised that users reduce screen time and try not to take any rejection personally in the online dating world.