TECH CRUNCH – Mar 5 – Bumble, the dating app where girls make the first move, has released an update with a new feature, called BFF. It lets users use the same swiping and matching algorithms for friendship instead of dating. Users have not only been requesting the feature, but have already been using the platform for that purpose, the company explained.
Month: March 2016
Match.com Did Not Remove A Rapist From Its Site
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE – Mar 4 – A British judge urged a review of safety measures for online dating sites as he jailed a serial rapist who met his victims through match.com. Jason Lawrance will serve ~12 years in jail. Four of Lawrance's victims complained to match.com, but the site administrators told one of the complainants that they could not take action because he had not sent abusive messages through the site.
Spark Networks Q4 And Fiscal Year 2015 Financial Results
MARKETWIRED – Mar 3 – Q4 '15 revenue was $10.7M, a YOY decrease of 25%, primarily driven by a decrease in average paying subscribers. Q4 '15 adjusted EBITDA was $116K, a decrease from $4.1M in the year ago period and $309K in the prior quarter. For the full year 2015, total revenue was $48.1M, a YOY decrease of 22%. In 2015 Spark Networks strenghtened mobile portfolio and extended reach into millennial demo through acquisition of JSwipe for $6M and launch of dating app CrossPaths.
Tinder Is In Trouble Over Its ‘Unfair’ User Terms In EU
FORTUNE – Mar 3 – Tinder's terms and conditions are illegal under Norwegian and EU consumer and privacy law. Tinder is breaking rules with terms that grant the app sweeping ownership rights and control over users' data, let it change its terms without notifying users, and allow it to delete users' accounts without justification. Slovenian and Dutch organisations joined the complaint and are in talks with other groups that are considering filing a complaint in more member states.
RealBlackLove Dating App Founder Turns Down $1.2M
BLACKNEWS – Mar 3 – RealBlackLove.com has turned down a seven figure bid from a private equity firm to take over the company's dating app. "I did not start this venture with a payout in mind," said RealBlackLove.com CEO and founder, Joseph Dixon.
The full article was originally published at Black News, but is no longer available.
Now It’s Ashley Madison Wives Who Are Receiving Blackmail Letters
GRAHAMCLULEY.COM – Mar 2 – The continuing story of the Ashley Madison hack, has taken another ugly twist. Some users received blackmail letters demanding $2K or their loved ones will be told about their membership of Ashley Madison. A number of people who refused to pay the Bitcoin ransom are now reporting that follow-up letters have been sent addressed to their wives.
by Graham Cluley
See full article at GrahamCluley.com
Happn Keeps Growing In US
NYPOST – Mar 1 – The French-based mobile app boasts 13M registered users, up from 10M two months ago. CEO Didier Rappaport said he expects the momentum to continue this year. Rappaport is in New York this week visiting top venture funds about a Series C investing round expected to close in July. So far, Happn has raised $22M. New York City is now Happn's largest US market.
The Catch – The Newest Dating App For Women
VENTUREBEAT – Mar 1 – The Catch lets women pick men based on the answers to their three questions. The Catch has raised a seed round from investors including Charles Hudson Partner at SoftTech and Precursor Ventures, and others.
Breakup Shop Makes Breaking Up Easy
CNN – Mar 2 – The Canadian duo, Mackenzie and Evan Keast, started a breakup site called Breakup Shop. Users can order a breakup text or breakup phone call for $10 and $29, respectively. Rush order is available for an additional fee. The Breakup Shop's methods have sparked a conversation about the ever-increasing role technology plays in modern relationships, especially among millennials. Since the Breakup Shop launched in November, it has performed ~90 breakups. UK-based app Binder provides a similar service, allowing users to end relationships by swiping right, and sends breakup voice mails.
Happn Hires New US Chief Marketing Officer
PRNEWSWIRE – Mar 1 – Happn, a dating app that enables users to discover people they've crossed paths with in real life, has named Serge Gojkovich as US CMO to expand its footprint in the US market. Serge previously served as VP of Marketing for Grindr and Blendr and as CMO for ParkMe.