BBC – May 21 – Taiwan's parliament has become the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. In 2017, the island's constitutional court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry. Parliament was given a two-year deadline and was required to pass the changes by 24 May. Lawmakers debated three different bills to legalise same-sex unions and the government's bill, the most progressive of the three, was passed. It will take effect after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen passes it into law.
Category: All Worldwide (non UK/Euro/US)
A Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Momo
GLOBE NEWSWIRE – May 15 – Bragar Eagel & Squire, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased Momo Shares between April 21, 2015 and April 29, 2019. Investors have until July 15, 2019 to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. The complaint alleges that throughout the period, defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the company's business, operational and compliance policies.
Toffee, Tinder for Snobs, Launches in Australia
DAILYMAIL.CO.UK – May 16 – Toffee is a dating app aimed at privately educated singles. The app has already launched in the UK, and launches today in Australia. Founder Lydia Davis said the aim of her app is to connect people with 'similar backgrounds'. The app claims 30K active monthly users.
Blued Launches Blued Queer Flicks
THE SIASAT DAILY – May 15 – Blued, a gay dating app, has launched their first ever queer film making contest called Blued Queer Flicks. The contest will be followed by a screening scheduled to be taken place on June 8, 2019, in Delhi. ~60 entries have been received since the contest was launched in April. Out of the total received entries, there are 10 selected contestants whose short movies will be shown at the fest and the winners will be awarded the cash prizes and awards. The movies are based on queer themes, struggles, love, fun, education and social perception.
This Is Why Michelle Battersby Quit Her Job to Join Bumble
Q: What was it about Bumble that spoke to you initially?
A: I had an immediate connection with Whitney and was so aligned with her vision for the Bumble brand. I had a strong gut-feeling that Bumble was going to be big and I needed to be a part of it.
Q: In your role, what does a normal day look like?
A: I'm thrown into new experiences all the time. A constant part of my job is forming Bumble's business strategy, both in Australia but also in Asia Pacific.
Q: What are your resources for keeping up to date with the industry?
A: It's so important to be across news, culture and the latest trends in business and technology. I'm consistently on social media for work, but the best resources are our users and the brands we work with.
Q: What do you do when you're feeling uninspired?
A: I'll often reach out to my sisters or friends. I also think you just need to take a break, change up your surroundings and get other people involved. I'll call a meeting if I'm stuck on something, move everyone out of the office and go somewhere else to work on the task.
Q: What's the most difficult part of your job?
A: Knowing when and how to switch off. Separating personal and business opinions is something I am consistently working on.
Q: When it comes to networking professionally, what are your three top pieces of advice?
A: My number one tip is to trust your instincts. My second tip: I overcame my lack of professional confidence by finding a mentor with a wealth of experience. My third tip is to never be afraid to put yourself forward and speak up.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a woman in a position of leadership in 2019?
A: That I have a responsibility to inspire positive change.
Q: What's something about the tech industry right now that has you excited?
A: I'm excited at the idea that we all need more time away from tech.
Beijing Kunlun Tech Must Sell Grindr by 2020 Over US National Security Fears
BLOOMBERG – May 14 – Beijing Kunlun Tech, The Chinese owner of Grindr, is required to sell the app by June 2020 under an agreement with US officials who raised national security concerns about the app's ownership. Under the agreement, Beijing Kunlun Tech can't access information about Grindr's users and transmit any sensitive information to any entities based in China.
Momo and Tantan Suspend Social Feeds in Content Cleanup
TECHNODE – May 13 – Shares of dating app company Momo fell on Friday after announcing it would temporarily shut down the social newsfeed on its platform for a month amid tightening government scrutiny. Momo users are restricted from posting on the newsfeed until June 11. Dating app, Tantan, made a parallel announcement on Friday night, saying its social feature, "Moments," would be suspended for a month as it is conducts a comprehensive investigation and works to enhance its screening capabilities. The incident follows Tantan's removal from major Chinese Android app stores in late April. Tantan responded by saying the removal was due to the "violations" of relevant rules and it had launched a total investigation on the platform. It remains unknown when Tantan will be available on app stores again. Momo had acquired Tantan in a $600M buyout in February 2018.
China’s Tinder – Tantan – Is Rising in India
QUARTZ – May 9 – Tantan, China's favourite dating app, is now the fifth-most popular in India by combined monthly active users on iOS and Android phones, according to App Annie. In May 2018, Tantan did not feature among the top 10, but zoomed to the 4th position by July. It has since slid one spot following the launch of Bumble in December.
Top dating apps in India
(as on May 2018) (as on March 2019)
1. Tinder 1. Tinder
2. Happn 2. Happn
3. Azar 3. Azar
4. Badoo 4. Bumble
5. OkCupid 5. Tantan
Tantan translates in Mandarin to "talk." Launched in 2014, the app bears a high resemblance to Tinder, and was acquired by the Chinese social network Momo in February 2018. Tantan has ~90M registered users in China. The dating app has been advertising aggressively on TikTok.
Google: Indians Are Searching ‘Dating’ More Than ‘Matrimony’
BUSINESS TODAY – May 9 – Out of the billion search queries that Google gets from India, dating and ordering pizza are two things Indians are most excited about. There is 40% growth in dating related searches in India, much faster than the matrimony queries. There is also 37% increase in online dating brand queries versus 13% increase in interest for matrimony brands.
Tinder Partners With NGO for Animal Rescue Help
FEMINA.IN – May 8 – In India, only 1 in 12 abandoned pets are rehomed, and the estimate on pets abandoned run into thousands. Friendicoes SECA, a Delhi-based NGO, estimates that up to 600 pets are abandoned every year in the city, of which only about 100 to 150 find new homes. So dating app Tinder is partnering with animal rescue and shelter foundations to help users find their #PawfectMatch. Users will be able to swipe on pet profiles, and swiping right will redirect them to fill out a form to indicate their preference from adopting, fostering, donating or volunteering, after which the process will be taken further.
by Shraddha Kamdar
See full article at Femina