Senators Urge Match Group to Address Dating Scams and User Safety

Senators Urge Match Group to Tackle Dating Scams

Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) on Wednesday pressed Match Group, the parent company of the popular dating app Tinder, on dating scams. “Given Match Group’s stated commitment to improving upon its historical practices relating to user safety, we write today to request documents and information about the company’s policies, procedures, and practices related to fraudulent activity on its platforms,” the senators wrote in their letter to Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff.

“Romance scams, in which fraudsters form relationships to induce money or gifts from victims, have become a leading form of financial fraud in the United States, with annual losses reaching at least $1.3 billion, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC),” they added.

Match Group's Response and Commitment

Match Group in 2021 unveiled plans to integrate a background check feature into its services later that year. In the same year, Tinder, Match, and other online dating services urged their users to lobby for the Violence Against Women Act.

“Over the years, many events have raised questions about whether Match Group—in its business practices and algorithmic design—has contributed to the proliferation of romance scams online,” Hassan and Blackburn wrote in their letter, adding that the FTC alleged the company exposed dating app users to fraud in 2019.

In a statement, Match Group's trust and safety head Yoel Roth reiterated the company's commitment to user safety, citing investments in fraud detection as well as partnerships with law enforcement.

“Protecting users from scams is essential to our business and to earning the trust people place in our platforms,” he said.

Senators' Requests for Transparency

In the Wednesday letter, the two senators requested “all documents and communications concerning the design, development, effectiveness, or consideration of fraud prevention measures” and “itemized quarterly investments in trust and safety.”