Back in 2019, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued the dating app giant Match Group, accusing it of deceiving Match.com users into purchasing subscriptions through misleading means.
Now, after six years, the company — which operates popular dating apps Match, Tinder, OkCupid, Hinge, and Plenty of Fish — has agreed to a $14 million settlement, as announced by the FTC on Tuesday.
The FTC stated that the $14 million will be used to provide “redress to injured consumers.”
According to the lawsuit, consumers were at risk of being scammed after the company sent marketing emails regarding new messages from senders it had already identified as likely bots or scammers, subsequently deceiving them into purchasing subscriptions while knowingly profiting from it.
Additionally, Match Group was accused of locking users out of their accounts after they attempted to dispute charges and kept their money without delivering the services they had paid for. The company was also accused of making it difficult for users to cancel their subscriptions.
Along with the $14 million settlement, the proposed order requires Match Group to take several actions to address the issues.
For instance, the company needs to clearly spell out the details of the six-month guarantee and ensure it doesn’t take adverse actions against customers who raise billing issues. It also has to provide easy ways for users to cancel their subscriptions.
The settlement comes as the company continues to face criticism over how it handles trust and safety issues. The hope is that the proposed order will help improve the experience for users.
“As part of the agreement, Match.com and the other evergreen and emerging brands will continue to comply with ROSCA [Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act] and make a $14 million payment, representing 5% of the FTC’s monetary demand. 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 The FTC’s outdated claims are entirely moot, as the alleged practices at issue ended years ago or are based on mischaracterizations that do not reflect our business today,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
This story was updated to include a statement from Match Group.
