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Guardian

Guardian

Addicted to love: how dating apps ‘exploit’ their users

Guardian
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68% Informative

At least 4.4 million adults in the UK use online dating platforms or services, according to data company Statista .

About a quarter of users pay for the services, generating 150 m in annual revenue.

Tinder, Bumble and Hinge all offer a “freemium” model of a free account with options to upgrade.

Pop-up adverts in all three apps promote paid-for options that imply you will “get noticed by more people” for a certain period of time.

Hinge offers one free “rose” a week , after which they cost 3.33 each.

Bumble offers a similar feature called a “ SuperSwipe ”: 4 to contact a profile that it says “may help you match!”.

Dating apps are regulated in the UK under the Online Safety Act , via Ofcom , but only regarding illegal and harmful content.

Tinder claims to have made 55bn matches, but Match Group does not keep data on how many lasting relationships have been formed via its platforms.

Dating apps do not fall under the remit of the Gambling Commission , which declined to comment.