Editorial Team
A lawsuit filed on Valentine’s Day against MatchGroup, Inc. – the company behind dating apps like Match, Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid – claims its apps have been designed with “addictive, game-like design features which lock users into a perpetual pay-to-play loop that prioritizes corporate profits over its marketing promises and customers’ relationship goals.”
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Match Group called the lawsuit “ridiculous.”
Five of the six plaintiffs are guys and we’re going to go off on a limb here and guess that all six are still looking for love. The plaintiffs are being represented by Clarkson Law Firm, which has offices in California, New York and Detroit. Here’s the email we sent them when seeking comment:
I am working on an article for Floggled.com about the lawsuit filed against MatchGroup, Inc.
If I can be blunt, it seems like all six plaintiffs must fit into at least one of the categories below, and I’m wondering if you can disprove this:
– People who are bitter because these dating apps have not yet worked for them personally.
– Industry insiders or competitors / disruptors / tech people looking to make change or gain press (we looked up the plaintiffs and those we could find have very impressive backgrounds in tech, consulting, PR, etc).
– People who habitually sue.
I’m also wondering how the plaintiffs connected with one another. Did they reach out to you individually? Who actually initiated this lawsuit?
I understand the dangers habitual scrolling can have on mental health, but to file a lawsuit against Match Group, essentially because of the UX of its apps?
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Here are the people suing MatchGroup, Inc.:
- Burak Oksayan, a resident of San Francisco who bought a “Tinder Gold monthly membership on September 17, 2023 for $19.99 and a Tinder Platinum weekly membership on November 16, 2023 for $24.99.” It’s been all of several months and he hasn’t scored, so naturally, time to sue.
- Jack Kessler, a Los Angeles resident who created accounts with Hinge and Tinder respectively in Feb. and March 2023, renewing both at various price tiers since. According to the suit, the last time he renewed one of his accounts was in November.
- Andrew St. George, a resident of Los Angeles who “purchased several “roses” through Defendant’s Hinge Platform for $3.99 per unit from September 2022 to May 2023.”
- Jami Kandel, a resident of New York who “purchased Tinder, Hinge, and The League monthly and/or quarterly subscriptions several times within the last two years.”
- Bradford Schlosser, a resident of Georgia who “purchased a Hinge Preferred Membership for $35 per month on December 18, 2022, and upgraded his subscription to a $50 per month version on October 14, 2023.”
- Andrew Karz, a resident of Florida who started his journey in Jan. 2023, with a “Tinder premium subscription for $14.99.”
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According to the lawsuit, the six plaintiffs would “…like to be able to purchase [the apps] again in the future, but only if they could be sure the Platforms were compliant with state and federal consumer protection and products liability laws…”. We’re sure that’s the issue.
Here’s Ryan J. Clarkson of Clarkson Law Firm talking about this on Today:
