TECH CRUNCH – A competition complaint against Google's Android Play Store by Match Group, has led to a preliminary investigation by the Netherlands' Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) into whether the tech giant is abusing a dominant position. "Dating-app providers allegedly are no longer able to use a payment system other than Google's payment system. In addition, dating apps claim they are no longer allowed to refer to other payment methods either," the ACM said. A Google spokesperson said: Match Group's apps are eligible to pay just 15% on Google Play, which is the lowest rate among major app platforms. But even if they don't want to comply with Google Play's policies, Android still provides them multiple ways of distributing their apps to Android users, including through other Android app stores, directly to users via their website or as consumption-only apps.
Category: Reporters – Natasha Lomas
Apple’s Fine Over Dutch Dating Apps Antitrust Order Hits €50M, but ACM Welcomes Revised Offer
TECH CRUNCH – Until last weekend, Apple still had not met ACM's requirements. That is why it has to pay a tenth penalty payment, which means that Apple must pay the maximum penalty of €50M. But the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) is sounding more positive today after Apple adjusted its most recent offer yesterday – saying the amended proposal "should result in definitive conditions for dating-app providers. Previous offers by Apple were rejected by the ACM as creating unreasonable friction for the developers in question. If ACM comes to the conclusion that Apple does not meet the requirements, ACM may impose another order subject to periodic penalty payments (with possibly higher penalties this time around) in order to stimulate Apple to comply with the order.
Apple Sends New Offer to Dutch Antitrust Authority Over Dating Apps Payments
TECH CRUNCH – Apple has been fined again in the Netherlands over an antitrust order related to dating apps. The latest €5M fine (the ninth) brings the total penalties against Apple on this issue up to €45M (out of a maximum possible of €50M if it again fails to satisfy the regulator by next week). Apple has responded to the string of fines over this period by claiming it is complying with the order. Apple submitted "new proposals" earlier today. The details have not been disclosed.
Dating App Thursday Raises $3.5M
TECH CRUNCH – June 28 – Thursday, a dating app that only works on Thursdays, has raised a £2.5M (~$3.5M) seed investment, a few months after launching in May in London and New York. Last Thursday (June 17) it says that 110K likes were sent, resulting in 7,500 matches in a single day. The app opens for usage at 00.01 each Thursday morning so swiping is compressed into a few hours. All matches and conversations vanish at midnight. Hence users are pushed to act quickly. Matches are also limited to x10 people a day. The plan for the seed funding includes hiring a head of growth and a head of marketing, in addition to other senior roles and a number of tech hires – and coming up with what they dub as a "six figure marketing strategy".
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com
Facebook’s Use of Ad Data Triggers Antitrust Probes in UK and EU
TECH CRUNCH – June 7 – The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the EU's Competition Commission both announced formal investigations into Facebook's operations. The competition regulators will scrutinize how Facebook uses data from advertising customers and users of its single sign-on tool – specifically looking at whether it uses this data as an unfair lever against competitors in markets such as classified ads. In a statement on its action, CMA CEO Andrea Coscelli said: "We intend to thoroughly investigate Facebook's use of data to assess whether its business practices are giving it an unfair advantage in the online dating and classified ad sectors. Any such advantage can make it harder for competing firms to succeed, including new and smaller businesses, and may reduce customer choice."
Jigsaw Scores $3.7M
TECH CRUNCH – Feb 15 – Jigsaw, an "anti-superficial" dating app, scored £2.7M ($3.7M) in seed funding to put toward U.S. expansion. The round is led by a lead generation company for online dating companies, called The Relationship Corp., with backing from angel investors in the U.S. and U.K. primarily in the tech sector. The app puts a digital jigsaw over the faces of users, with pieces removed gradually the more they interact – and the full face only revealed after a pre-set amount of in-app engagement. The app launched in London in 2019; and opened up to the U.S. in November last year. Jigsaw has ~150K+ registered users across those two markets at this point, with 50K in the U.S.
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com
Europe Urges E-commerce and Media Platforms to Share Data
TECH CRUNCH – Nov 6 – European lawmakers are pressing major e-commerce and media platforms to share more data with each other as a tool to fight rogue traders who are targeting consumers with coronavirus scams. Didier Reynders, the EU commissioner for justice, met with 11 online platforms, including Amazon, Alibaba/AliExpress, eBay, Facebook, Google, Microsoft/Bing, Rakuten and Verizon Media/Yahoo, to discuss new trends and business practices linked to the pandemic and push the tech companies to do more to head off a new wave of COVID-19 scams. Next month regional lawmakers are set to unveil the Digital Services Act which will require platforms to take more responsibility for dealing with illegal content and dangerous products; and the Digital Markets Act which will require platforms considered to hold a dominant market position to make data available to rivals, with the aim of fostering competition in digital markets.
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on Very Social Network
Facebook Dating Launches in Europe After 9-month+ Delay Over Privacy Concerns
TECH CRUNCH – Oct 21 – From today, European Facebook users can opt into Facebook Dating by creating a profile at facebook.com/dating. Among the dating product's main features are the ability to share Stories on users' profile; a Secret Crush feature that let people select up to nine of their Facebook friends or Instagram followers who they'd like to date (without them knowing unless they also add them – triggering a match notification); the ability to see people with similar interests; and a video chat feature called Virtual Dates. Since the launch of Facebook's dating product in 20 countries around the world – including the U.S. and a number of markets in Asia and LatAm – the company says ~1.5B matches have been "created".
Facebook Dating’s Launch in Europe Postponed
TECH CRUNCH – Feb 12 – Facebook has been forced to call off the launch date of its dating service in Europe because it failed to give its lead EU data regulator enough advanced warning – including failing to demonstrate it had performed a legally required assessment of privacy risks. Facebook said dating would arrive in Europe by early 2020 but it just didn't think to keep its lead EU privacy regulator in the loop, despite the DPC having multiple ongoing investigations into other Facebook-owned products at this stage. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) had sent agents to Facebook's Dublin office seeking documentation that Facebook had failed to provide. The DPC said Facebook first contacted it about the rollout of the dating feature in the EU on February 3.
Tinder Is Under GDPR Probe in Europe
TECH CRUNCH – Feb 4 – Tinder is the latest tech service to find itself under formal investigation in Europe over how it handles user data. Under Europe's GDPR, EU citizens have a number of rights over their personal data – such as the right to request deletion or a copy of their data. It's not clear exactly which GDPR rights have been complained about by Tinder users but some have accused the company of not providing a copy of all the data it holds on them. Tinder's statement: "Transparency and protecting our users' personal data is of utmost importance to us. We are fully cooperating with the Data Protection Commission, and will continue to abide by GDPR and all applicable laws."