(Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Match Group, the parent of dating apps OkCupid and Match.com, has agreed to pay $14 million to settle allegations it resorted to deceptive advertising to reel in users.
The Federal Trade Commission sued Match Group in 2019 for allegedly using shady tactics to attract paying customers, such as ignoring romance scammers in a bid to nab new subscribers. A $14 million penalty is small; Match Group itself notes that it's only 5% of the $844 million the FTC sought in 2022. However, it comes after a judge later dismissed much of the FTC’s original case.
Still, the FTC says Match has agreed to make it easier to cancel subscriptions to its dating apps, which also include Plenty of Fish and The League. The company must also refrain from retaliating against users who’ve filed billing disputes.
The commission will use the $14 million to compensate “injured consumers,” with details likely to be announced once the judge approves the settlement.
Match Group is also prohibited from misrepresenting its six-month money-back guarantee. However, the settlement doesn’t cover Tinder or Hinge, two of Match Group’s major properties.
The company told PCMag: “Match Group admits no liability as part of this resolution and was fully prepared to take the case to trial, but opted to resolve the case to put the matter behind it. The FTC’s outdated claims are entirely moot, as the alleged practices at issue ended years ago or are based on mischaracterizations that do not reflect our business today.”