CMB – Sep 24 – Each episode, CMB's Chief Dating Officer invites an expert to explore what it takes to go on great dates.
Month: September 2020
Spectrum Labs Raises $10M for Its AI-based Platform to Combat Online Toxicity
TECH CRUNCH – Sep 24 – Spectrum Labs – which has built algorithms and a set of APIs that can be used to detect toxic behavior, has raised $10M in a Series A round of funding. The company plans to use the capital to expand its platform. The company has raised ~$14M to date. Spectrum Labs works with a wide range of companies, including The Meet Group. Spectrum Labs' AI-based platform is currently set up to scan for ~40 kinds of toxic behavior profiles such as harassment, hate speech, scams, grooming, illegal solicitation, and doxxing.
by Ingrid Lunden
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com
Meetsy Helps to Create More Face to Face Interactions
GLOBE NEWSWIRE – Sep 23 – Sophomores at USC and UC Berkeley, Daniel Hanasab and Sean Toobi, have developed an app called Meetsy that is changing the way we initiate face-to-face conversations. In just a couple of months, Daniel and Sean have taken the start-up world by storm with tons of venture capital attention, Meetsy is now an incubated company through the University of Southern California's affiliated Troy Labs, with many venture-backed start-up founders as mentors. According to its founders, Meetsy is the first "head-up" social network platform where quality in-person conversation is king, not screen-time. The app notifies users in real-time of people with commonalities in the same room, allowing them to skip the swipes and make meaningful relationships. Users can choose to get notified when someone in the room shares certain qualities. Then, users "Wave" at potential friends that share similarities and proceed to jump right into face-to-face conversation.
See full article at Globe Newswire
This post also appears on VerySocialNetwork
Hinge Is on Track to Triple Its Revenue This Year
MARKETWATCH – Sep 22 – Since Match made its first investment in Hinge back in 2017, the dating app has seen its user base grow 20 times, according to Match. Hinge was launched in 2012 as an app seeking to move beyond the "hookup culture". When Match initially got involved with Hinge, the app had a fairly limited set of revenue-generating features. Now Match is "finally focusing on monetization," according to Amarnath Thombre, CEO of the company's Americas business, who oversees its non-Tinder properties. The recent push has Hinge on track to triple its revenue this year.
Tinder Introduces Passions
The Meet Group Launches Face Verification
"At the beginning of this year, I set forth our commitment to safer dating in 2020, addressing key issues affecting dating apps everywhere: Authenticity, Age Estimation, Device Blocking, and Textual Screening," said Geoff Cook, CEO of The Meet Group. "With the launch of the Profile Verification Badge on MeetMe, we are…helping to ensure authenticity and end catfishing."
Other initiatives include using URSafe so members can stay connected in an emergency, collaborating with Microsoft on Project Artemis which uses common textual patterns and an age detection engine to prevent child exploitation, the introduction of a Safer Dating Advisory Board of epidemiologists and infectious disease experts to provide advice aimed at reducing the risk of contagion while dating, and implementing DeviceCheck to block bad actors' devices. See TMG's safety overview.
See full article at Businesswire
See the top news on The Meet Group
See the top news on MeetMe
This post also appears on VerySocialNetwork
What Are Your Productivity Hacks?
OPW – Sep 21 – We are in slightly crazy times and most of you have had to quickly disburse your offices to the work-at-home wind. How's that gone for you? What have you learned? What, may I ask, are the tips, tools, and techniques that have most improved your productivity? How have you helped keep your team on point, motivated to the cause, and communicating effectively? Please send an email to mark@courtlandbrooks.com with your thoughts.
I'll review and include the top ideas from the dating and online social community industries in our next IDEA Webinar, which will be on Friday 2nd October at 11am EST. You can sign up early here. Free, but limited to 100 places.
IDEA Webinar kindly sponsored by RealMe and vPaaS by The Meet Group.
Class Action Alleging Grindr Sold User Data
THE BAY AREA REPORTER – Sep 18 – A class action complaint against Grindr for privacy violations may not be able to proceed in traditional court but may go through arbitration. User Robert Bergeron sued Grindr after allegations it shared personal user data with third parties to the highest bidder without obtaining consent of users or telling them who those entities are, the initial federal court complaint states. Data included 'chat message text, chat images, e-mail address, display name, About Me, HIV status, linked Facebook & Twitter data, and more. They're claiming $5m+, which if the case went forward as a class action lawsuit would be spread among the members of the class. A 98% stake in Grindr sold a 98% stake in March to U.S.-based San Vicente Acquisition Partners.
Podcast Interview: Whitney Wolfe Herd of Bumble
NPR – Sep 19 – Last year Bumble launched video chat. It was initially slow to take off. That changed after the pandemic. Whitney Wolfe Herd says many Bumble users are getting to know each other on video before meeting in person – a trend that could change dating for the better. Hear podcast for more…
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