TECH CRUNCH – Clarifai has now deleted 3M OkCupid photos and the AI models trained on them. This is the first clear confirmation that the data was actually used for facial recognition training. The deletion follows the FTC case against OkCupid and Match Group, which settled without admitting wrongdoing.
FINANCIAL TIMES – Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff says attracting female users is a “priority focus” in the push to turn around Tinder. Tinder has fallen from a peak of 65.4M monthly active users in 2021 to 50.5M last year, according to Sensor Tower. Match Group does not publish a gender breakdown of users on its apps, but Sensor Tower estimates around 75% of Tinder’s users are men. Since taking over, Rascoff has introduced a series of new features, including double dates, video calls, and shared-interest matching (such as music taste), aimed at attracting younger Gen Z users and women. He said the decline has improved from -11% annually to -8.5%, with a goal of stabilizing growth by the end of next year.
INSURANCE BUSINESS MAG – Match Group has sued insurance broker Marsh USA, alleging it failed to notify insurer Beazley of a claim before a policy expired in 2016, resulting in a denial of coverage. The dispute stems from a lawsuit over Tinder’s “Super Like” feature. Tinder’s broker submitted notice after the policy expired, and courts later ruled the claim should have been reported earlier. After losing its case against Beazley, Match Group is now seeking ~$4M in damages and legal fees from Marsh.
INC – Match Group has agreed to settle an FTC lawsuit alleging that OkCupid shared millions of users’ personal data, including photos, with Clarifai in 2014 to train facial recognition systems without proper consent, despite privacy policies suggesting otherwise. The data reportedly included ~3M images along with demographic and location information. Under the settlement, Match must improve how it discloses and handles user data and implement compliance measures under oversight. The company does not admit wrongdoing, and the agreement is pending court approval.
BUSINESS INSIDER – Spencer Rascoff has reshaped Tinder over the past year, taking over from Faye Iosotaluno. He is reorganizing the company into smaller, flatter teams, and operating it more like a startup. At the same time, Justin McLeod and Hesam Hosseini have exited, with the COO role not being replaced. The shift comes as Match Group faces pressure, with its stock falling from ~$150 to $30 and removal from the S&P 500, while Tinder downloads declined from 61M in 2021 to 48Min 2025. Meanwhile, Hinge is growing and on track to become a billion-dollar business. Rascoff is focusing on Gen Z and pushing new features to reverse Tinder’s slowdown and re-energize the app.
OPW – Match Group hosted its first product-focused event, SPARKS 2026: Start Something New, on March 12, where executives outlined new features and the company’s product strategy for Tinder. The event’s name reflects what Tinder now considers its core success metric: “sparks.” According to the company, a spark occurs when two users exchange at least six back-and-forth messages, signaling genuine engagement. 18% of women who stopped using dating apps cited matches that never led to conversations as a key frustration. In response, Tinder has shifted its internal structure to become more product- and engineering-led, focusing on features that increase “Sparks”.
Opening the event, CEO Spencer Rascoff said Tinder remains one of the largest dating apps globally, with users making ~2B swipes per day. Despite claims that younger users are abandoning dating apps, he believes the demand for connection remains strong.
He highlighted Double Date, a feature launched in June that allows users to pair with a friend and match with another pair. The feature is designed to reduce the pressure of one-on-one dates. According to the company, 1 in 5 US women aged 18–22 are already part of a Double Date pair, while adoption in Norway has reached 50%.
Tinder is also expanding ways users connect through shared interests. Music Mode allows users to add up to 20 songs from Spotify to their profiles. Astrology Mode highlights zodiac compatibility. Both features are already available globally. Tinder is rolling out updates to the profile experience designed to add more context and personality: Photo prompts that add text to images, AI-powered Photo Enhance, Camera Roll Scan, which automatically creates visual collages from a user’s photo library.
IRL Events and Video Speed Dating
Tinder is introducing IRL events, starting with a pilot in Los Angeles, where users can browse and join curated local meetups through a new Events tab on the Tinder app. Another feature being tested is Video Speed Dating, which will allow users to have three-minute video conversations after completing photo verification. Video Speed Dating will launch in LA in June.
Trust and Safety
Yoel Roth (SVP, Trust & Safety) said Tinder introduced 20 safety features over the past years and invested $125M in trust and safety. New tools include: Face Check, Share My Date, Are You Sure?, Does This Bother You?, Photo and ID verification. According to Tinder, Face Check has reduced views of bots and bad actors by 60% and cut related reports by 40%.
Executives said the recent product updates represent a shift away from purely swipe-based interactions toward features designed to increase engagement, lower pressure, and generate more “sparks” between users.
THE MOTLEY FOOL – 13D Management disclosed that it sold its entire position in Match Group during Q4. The position was previously 4.5% of the fund’s AUM as of Q3, marking a significant reduction during broader fund downsizing. It’s top holding after the filing is $8.6M of Twilio (TWLO). The fund reported 16 positions post-filing, with total 13F reportable AUM of $84M. For investors, the key question is which Match Group platform will drive the next phase of growth and its ability to convert shifting dating habits into sustained payer growth.
FORTUNE – The CEO of Match Group set up an employee hotline where staff can DM him anytime: ‘No hierarchy. No filters. Just real input.’ Spencer Rascoff has broken down the barriers of command, encouraging transparency, so he asked all his employees to start DMing him with feedback, ideas, questions, or concerns. Rascoff reads every message and takes action when employees raise concerns or give valuable feedback. He recognized Match Group needed a reset, and is rebuilding trust and focus. Ideas now progress faster. Rascoff’s admiration of Gen Z’s talent is a breath of fresh air for young staffers.
Mark Brooks: Feedback is the breakfast of champions. We all need to listen to Gen Z more intently, or risk missing (the new online dating) boat.
TECH CRUNCH – Match Group has eliminated the Chief Operating Officer role, leading to the departure of COO Hesam Hosseini after 18 years with the company. The decision comes as the dating-app industry faces declining engagement, particularly among Gen Z users. The change is part of a broader restructuring under CEO Spencer Rascoff, aimed at streamlining operations and cutting costs.
OPW – Match Group will host its first product event, SPARKS 2026: Start Something New, on March 12 at 2:00 p.m. EST. The event will feature keynote presentations from Tinder executives and outline upcoming feature updates and the company’s product roadmap. A live webcast will be available on Match Group’s investor relations website.