THE STORY EXCHANGE – Dec 13 – Julie Griggs & Danielle Dietzek's Fourplay Social dating app allows users to go on dates in groups with their other single friends. They are two New Jersey-based healthcare professionals who were tired of the traditional online dating scene. In order to match on Fourplay, all four members have to indicate they’re interested in connecting. Once everyone approves, a group chat is opened where the teams can get to know each other and make plans to meet up.
Month: December 2019
MeetMe to Improve Its Screening for Sex Offenders
WASHINGTON POST – Dec 13 – MeetMe says it checks users to ensure they aren't convicted sex offenders by comparing the names they provide to MeetMe with online databases that list registered sex offenders. But the company has been the subject of lawsuits for allegedly enabling sexual predators to target minors. The Meet Group spokeswoman Brandyn Bissinger said they used different last names in their profile, and that is why they didn't show up in sex offender registries. "Our number one priority is providing a safe environment for our ~15M monthly users to connect and interact," Bissinger said. "We are an industry leader in promoting safety standards and are continuously working to advance our efforts." MeetMe said it will go beyond a person's username to check for sexual offenses. For instance, it will now check names on banking records when it pays streamers and check whether the names in email addresses conflict with the names users provide the company when accounts are created.
Swiping Meant Dating This Decade, and It’s Time for a Change
THE VERGE – Dec 11 – As we close out the decade, it might be time to retire the swipe we once knew. The swipe was born only seven years ago, and in that time, it's conquered online dating and made it mainstream. Dating apps are expected to top 25M users in the US this year, and as of 2017, 39% of heterosexual couples in the US said they met online, up from 22% in 2009, according to a recent study. Tinder lowered the barriers to online dating and gamified it. As we enter 2020, the apps seem to be finding out that the swipe alone is no longer cutting it. They're differentiating themselves by creating slower experiences that result in real dates with real people, presumably picking up on daters' wants. Even Tinder is experimenting with ways to augment the swipe and give people more context than just a yes or no. It launched Swipe Night, an interactive video feature, this year that gives daters the option to swipe on people who made similar decisions to them during the experience. The League is using automated, two-minute video calls to help daters filter through matches. New dating app Bounce concentrate on the real-life part of dating by giving people no room to talk and instead focus on the meetup. The app is only live at specific times.
by Ashley Carman
See full article at The Verge
See all posts on Bounce
See all posts on The League
See all posts on Tinder
Internet Dating Jobs Listing Update – December 2019
OPW – Dec 11 – The new Internet dating jobs listing is live on the Internet Dating Jobs blog.
Below see a couple of this month's most interesting offers:
Bumble
Social Media Director
CoffeeMeetsBagel
VP of Product
Hinge
Head of Growth
Lovoo
Head of Live Streaming and Community Management
Match Group
SVP, Tax
The Inner Circle
CMO
The League
Director or VP of Operations & Finance
Tinder
VP Product Innovation
To see more open positions go here.
Do you have an idating industry job offer which is not included? Please, send it to tips@onlinepersonalswatch.com and we will add it to the list.
OPW Podcast – The Top Dating Industry News for Dec 10th
OPW – Dec 10 – IDEA SUMMIT, Social Safety Badge, Pheramor shuttered, Gleeden not illegal, Lumen ads banned
For the top weekly dating industry news in ~2 minutes subscribe to OPW’s Two Minute Tuesdays (TMT) podcast on ,
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or
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Jeffrey Epstein-Funded Geneticist Is Building a Dating App
GIZMODO – Dec 10 – Renowned Harvard Medical School geneticist George Church has focused his work on reversing the effects of aging, helping humans become immune to viruses, and eradicating genetic diseases. He is building a dating app based on ideal DNA pairings. The goal is to screen out sexual partnerships that could create a child with genetic diseases. George Church has co-founded ~35 startups and received funding from Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire investor facing charges of sex trafficking dozens of underage girls.
Chinese Video Dating App Yidui Secures $10M
DEAL STREET ASIA – Sep 9 – Video dating app Yidui has raised $10M in Series A+ round from XVC. The dating app is operated by Beijing Milian Technology & Trade. It has closed Series A round funding from BlueRun Ventures. Milian Technology, which launched the dating app in 2018, claims to have 10K+ active profiles currently. By the end of 2019, Milian Technology is targeting to cross 1B yuan ($142M) turnover mark.
See full article at Deal Street Asia
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com
Gray & Farrar Matchmaking Company Loses VAT Dispute
ACCOUNTANCY DAILY – Dec 9 – Gray & Farrar, an upmarket matchmaking business has failed in its bid at a First Tier Tribunal (FTT) to overturn a demand from HMRC for VAT due on the services it provides. Gray & Farrar argued that it should not be charged VAT on its services for the tax years 2012 through 2016. The company runs an exclusive dating service which provides clients with introductions to potential romantic partners, hand-picked for them by an adviser rather than by online dating apps. Clients sign up for a 12-month membership, which gives ~ eight introductions, starting from £15,000 a year. For VAT purposes, Gray & Farrar treated its service as a consultancy, which meant that clients resident outside the EU were not charged UK VAT on its fees. HMRC rejected Gray & Farrar's attempt to adopt a zero VAT status on the services provided and this saw the company appeal at tribunal. The case is a useful reminder for advisory businesses to think carefully about whether their service constitutes "consultancy” when determining the place of supply of their services to overseas clients."
Positive Singles Launches POZ Gay Dating Service
NEWSWIRE – Dec 9 – Positive Singles launches its POZ gay dating services. The service aims to help singles with STD find love.
IDEA Launches Social Safety Badge for Dating Apps
BUSINESSWIRE – Dec 9 – IDEA (The Internet Dating Excellence Association) is launching the Social Safety Badge and Guidelines for high quality dating apps. "The goal of this badge is to help users identify dating, matchmaking and social apps that are distinguished in their commitment to a safe and exceptional experience for users," said IDEA President Mark Brooks.
The guidelines cover:
- Respect For Others
- Respect For The Rights Of Others
- Respect For Minors
- Respect For The Community
- Respect For Larger Community
The following dating apps are in the initial launch group and have signed on to the badge, stating that they will adhere to the guidelines:
- CitySwoon
- GlobalMuslimMatch
- Happn
- Jaumo
- LunchClick
- MeetMe
- muzmatch
- Namoro
- Once
- Say Allo
- Skout
- Tagged
- Vouch
IDEA was formed in 2007 as the Internet Dating Executive Alliance and changed to the Internet Dating Excellence Association in 2018. The group is made up of 700+ dating industry executives and dating company leaders and innovators from around the world.