Tinder, Hinge, and other dating apps are being accused of a "predatory" business model that encourages users on "compulsive" use to gain profits, according to a new class-action lawsuit.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday in the Northern District of California, claimed that the dating apps "lock users into a perpetual pay-to-play loop" of dating matches.
Match Group, the parent company of Tinder and Hinge, also came under fire for turning its users into "addicts" as it slowly increased membership fees for its apps.
Tinder and Hinge earlier introduced more expensive membership tiers for their high-paying customers while the basic and free tiers were being swamped by bots and scam accounts.
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Litigations Clamp Down on Dating Apps
The lawsuit came as social media and dating apps are facing more scrutiny from lawmakers, users, and watch groups as reports of online harassment continue to rise.
Back in September, the Australian government ordered dating app companies to develop a code of practice to better protect its users and "do their part to end violence against women".
Similar calls are being echoed in the US following the order as more young women are experiencing online harassment and abuse on dating apps.
It is also worth noting that the case against Match Group follows after the US Senate has started cracking down on the addictive features of social media platforms that may affect its younger users.
More Dating Scams, AI Chatbots on Dating Apps
With Valentine's at full swing, the lawsuit also comes in time as AI chatbots started populating dating apps, many of which are designed to scam users out of money.
The Federal Trade Commission has already alerted users to be more careful when engaging with other users looking for romance both on social media and dating sites.
So far, there is are no interventions by the government have been announced in regard to this issue in online dating.
Related Article: AI Chatbots in Online Dating Scams Surge Ahead of Valentine's Day
