TRAFFIC STARS – May 23 – The UK is the first country to introduce age verification laws for all adult content websites. The plan, initially announced in July 2017, is reported to have been pushed back until "the end of the year". The legislation was designed to protect children from easily accessing "harmful content" online. On the upcoming roll out of age verification legislation in the UK, webmasters are free to choose which sort of tools they will use to comply.
Month: May 2018
Interview With Eve Peters, Former GM Product At OKCupid Labs
OPW INTERVIEW – May 29 – Eve is now the CEO/Founder of Tonight. A wonderful new app that is focused on getting people off their phones and onto dates.
Prefer a podcast? Great! We’ve got you covered. Starting in a few days from now, we’re running all future interviews as podcasts on iTunes, Google Music, Stitcher and Tunein. Look for “The IDEA Podcast”.
Post by Mark Brooks, CEO IDEA
SeekingArrangement Pulled From China’s App Stores
by Emma Lee
See full article at Technode
The League Dating App Admits Only Accomplished Singles
TODAY.COM – May 29 – Amanda Bradford created a dating app called The League in 2014. The site claims $1M people on its waiting list.
Blaming Dating Apps For The Rise Of STDs Is A Sex Panic
MASHABLE – May 26 – STD rates have risen in the U.S. over the last 10 years and reports drawing the line between STDs and dating apps have also proliferated on the news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in Sep 2017 that rates of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea infections have increased for the third straight year. "I think there are lots of different, simultaneous influences, such as a decrease in condom use, an increased rate in screenings and a decrease in sexual education ," said Dr. Heidi Bauer, the California Department of Public Health's (CDPH) chief. But Dr. Bauer does maintain that dating apps and social media may play a role. According to her reports on California, there's been a 40% increase among syphilis cases in men who have sex with men who report meeting their partners on the Internet; for heterosexual syphilis cases, that increase is 10%. And while app-users were more likely to have STDs than those who didn't use apps, they were also having more sex overall. Those who use the apps would probably still be having more sex even if apps weren't around.
How Match Group’s GC Navigates M&A, Data Privacy Demands
BIG LAW BUSINESS – May 25 – Most GCs can point to a mentor who shaped their career – and Jared Sine is no exception. Before he took on the role of general counsel and secretary of Match Group, Sine learned the art of M&A strategy from Mark Okerstrom, CEO of Expedia.
Q: How did leading Expedia's M&A efforts prepare you for your current role at Match?
A: During the four-year period, we did a massive amount of deals – ~$10B-worth. That allowed us to see a variety of issues, both commercial and legal.
Q: What common barriers do you see in M&A deals?
A: Deals are like math equations. To get to the right outcome, you need to think about the variables—and how you structure them – to make sure each party is getting what they need out of the deal. To break through barriers, you need to understand not only your business but the legal structure and issues that go along with the business you're acquiring. People often get emotionally attached to a certain way of thinking about a deal. You just have to be very logical and dispassionate.
Q: What else would you advise GCs to overcome some of these barriers?
A: Sometimes as lawyers, we think too much like lawyers as opposed to like business folks. That sometimes leads us to lose the ability to be creative. You have to think more outside the box and be more commercial.
Q: What internal collaborations help you strengthen business objectives?
A: The mantra my team works under is that we are just as responsible for the business outcomes as the business teams. It's essential we work closely with every team across the business. It's critical we understand what the forecasts look like, where the business is looking to go.
Q: Turning to auto-renewal laws – how does Match stay apprised of these laws and ensure customer preferences are heard, too?
A: We've built a team that is very involved on the legislative front. We also have clear disclosures on our sites. We do annual and biannual – and often tri-annual – reviews of the flows for auto-renewal, to make sure that as things evolve from a legislative standpoint, we're compliant and thoughtful about the way we disclose.
Q: How are you strengthening privacy in U.S. and overseas markets?
A: We take privacy very seriously. We invest heavily in it. We've expanded our privacy team. We have multiple privacy attorneys, and multiple privacy program managers.
20th Century Fox Is Casting For A New Reality Dating Show
BACKSTAGE – May 23 – 20th Century Fox is currently casting for a new reality dating show, "The Swipe is Right," and is looking for men and women who are comfortable on camera to talk about their experience with the current dating scene. The show is focusing on frustrated singles who've tired of the endless swiping on mobile dating apps. Disappointing experiences with being set up on dates or being approached by strangers at bars are also welcome. Filming takes place this June in LA.
by Cameron Stuart
See full article at Backstage
ChristianMingle Is Expanding Across Europe
CHRISTIANTODAY – May 24 – Christian Mingle already has an established presence in the UK, Canada, Australia and the US. The platform will go live across several countries in Europe this summer: it began a presence in France, Germany and Spain on March 13, and Russia, Poland and other countries are set to follow soon. The site is part of Spark Networks SE which owns several other dating brands such as JSwipe and Jdate, and the Mormon site LDSSingles.
See full article at Christian Today
Hinge Is Hiring An Anti-Retention Specialist To Get Users Off The App & Dating IRL
BUSTLE – May 25 – Hinge is hiring an Anti-Retention Specialist to get users off of their dating app and help turn more first dates into second dates. "In our eyes, the less time people spend on the app, the better," says Hinge's Director of Communications, Jean-Marie McGrath. Apparently 54% of people who delete the app Hinge currently delete it because they meet someone on Hinge – and Hinge wants to take that number to 80%. Anyone interested in the role needs to have a Ph.D. in sociology (or another related field).
Seeking Arrangement Under Investigation In China
See full article at GlobalTimes