CNBC – Apr 27 – The two top senators on the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust sent a letter to Google asking about an alleged call to Match Group the day before its top lawyer was set to testify about treatment on the Google Play app store. "We are deeply troubled by Match Group's claims that Google may have attempted to influence another witness's testimony," they wrote. Match's chief legal officer, Jared Sine, told senators during last week's hearing that employees at Google called Match after Sine's opening testimony became public. Sine said they asked why his testimony differed from Match's comments on its last earnings call, where executives said they believed they were having productive conversations about Google's 30% fee for in-app payments through its app store.
Category: Match Group
Massive Changes Coming to Protect Women From Sex Predators
DAILYMAIL.CO.UK – Apr 25 – Dating apps will use AI to 'red flag' potentially threatening users to protect women from sexual assault. Users who might pose a danger to others on the platforms will be flagged and any assaults reported via the apps will be immediately forwarded to police. Match Group will establish a software portal that will feed any sexual assault reports – along with information linked to the case such as conversation histories – to police. The company is also considering hiring law enforcement liaisons whose sole job would be to streamline communication and information sharing with police.
by Brett Lackey
See full article at DailyMail.co.uk
App Providers Are Afraid of Apple’s and Google’s Market Power
FORBES – Apr 22 – Executives from Apple and Google fielded accusations of anti-competitive behavior from lawmakers and other technology companies during an antitrust hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Executives from Spotify and Match Group contend that the tech giants have used their dominant positions in the app platform space to charge commissions as high as 30% of app developers' total sales. Rebutting the allegations were Apple's chief compliance officer and VP of corporate law, Kyle Andeer, and Google's senior director of public policy and government relations, Wilson White. Both highlighted how their platforms have helped developers reach billions of customers worldwide. "When we introduced the App Store in 2008, creating software was difficult and often expensive," said Andeer. "Apple has invested "significantly" to build 250K application programming interfaces. The App Store isn't just a store. It's a studio stacked with canvases and brushes and paints – the tools that artists need to create their works. And it's a gallery where they can display and sell their creations." Match Group's chief legal officer, Jared Sine, meanwhile, sharply criticized both marketplaces as anticompetitive monopolies. The fee from the App Store is Match Group's single largest expense, at over half a billion dollars. Sine also criticized Google, contending that it lured the online dating company to the Android ecosystem "under false pretenses" that the platform was free. "We're all afraid, is the reality, Senator," he added.
Senate to Call Spotify, Tile and Match at Apple, Google Antitrust Hearing
BLOOMBERG – Apr 20 – Google will send a top policy executive to testify at Wednesday's Senate app store antitrust hearing, while legal executives from Spotify, Tile and Match Group will serve as witnesses. Spotify, Tile and Match have all been embroiled in antitrust fights with Apple recently, with Spotify and Match filing complaints about Apple's App Store rules and fees. The Senate subcommittee is investigating Apple and Google over competition issues and concerns from app developers. Apple's Andeer previously testified on several matters for Apple before the House of Representatives and other U.S. lawmakers. Google often argues that it differs from Apple since Android device owners are free to download alternative app stores. But Google does require device manufacturers to install its app store and other mobile services, giving its properties a competitive advantage. That arrangement was the centerpiece of a European Union antitrust case against Google. The company disputed the EU charges.
Tinder’s Plan for Criminal Record Checks Raises Fears of ‘Lifelong Punishment’
THE GUARDIAN – Apr 13 – Match Group recently announced a partnership with a non-profit background check company called Garbo to integrate background checks into its online properties. But critics argue the new integration could mimic notoriously faulty background checks and effectively discriminate against the nearly one-third of the adult working population in the US with criminal records, without necessarily making dating apps safer. The Garbo team has yet to decide how far back in time background checks will search, a source of concern for advocates that argue that using criminal history against people who have served their time is another form of "lifelong punishment". Another core issue with the Match Group's approach lies in the unreliability of background checks.
Where Will Match Group Be in 5 Years?
THE MOTLEY FOOL – Apr 2 – According to The Wall Street Journal, the largest U.S. dating apps saw a 12.6% increase in monthly active users in the Q4 of 2020. The online dating market is expected to grow 9% annually, reaching $4.2B by 2024, according to Statista. Despite that growth, user penetration will reach only 5.7% over that time. That leaves plenty of room for Match Group to add new subscribers. Despite pandemic-related headwinds in 2020, Match Group still turned in a respectable financial performance. Total revenue was up 17%, powered by 12% growth in its subscriber base. The company plans to fully launch Tinder Platinum in the near term. Based on CEO Shar Dubey's comments during the most recent earnings call, the company believes this new product will drive an increase in the average revenue per user, which should make Match Group more profitable.
Latinx Dating App Chispa Reaches 4M Downloads
PR NEWSWIRE – Apr 1 – Chispa, the largest dating app designed for Latinx singles, reaches a new milestone of 4M downloads this week. Chispa's user base has grown 28% YOY. Chispa is a Match Affinity dating app created in 2017 by Match Group.
Match Group Dodges Securities Fraud Suit for Now
LAW360 – Mar 26 – A Texas federal judge axed a shareholder's proposed class action alleging that Match Group turned a blind eye to a fraudulent user base in favor of profit, finding that the investors failed to demonstrate that Match made false or misleading statements about its financial and operational conditions.
Prickett Jones, Kessler Topaz Tapped to Lead Match.com Suit
LAW360 – Mar 16 – Prickett Jones and Kessler Topaz edged out a team led by Andrews & Springer, Friedman Oster and Cohen Milstein on Monday to helm a stockholder challenge to the $30B spinoff of Match Group, Match.com's parent, from IAC on July 1, 2020. The lawsuit is accusing chairman Barry Diller and past and current Match directors of separating the two companies under terms unfair to investors and Match.
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Garbo & Tinder Background Checks Update
THE VERGE – Mar 15 – Tinder will soon let users run a background check on a potential date. Match Group announced an investment in Garbo, a nonprofit allows people to run background checks with only their first name and phone number or full name. The investment, of which Match didn't disclose the amount (a seven-figure investment), will help make the group's tech available to Match's users, starting with Tinder. Garbo says it collects "public records and reports of violence or abuse, including arrests, convictions, restraining orders, harassment, and other violent crimes. Notably, Garbo said it won't publicize drug possession charges. The company says drug-related offenses don't meaningfully predict "gender-based violence". Garbo also doesn't disclose traffic violations. The background checks on Tinder won't be free, but Match is working with Garbo to figure out how to price them so they’re accessible to most users.