In 2019, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued the dating app giant Match Group, accusing Match.com users of deceiving them of purchasing subscriptions through misleading means.
Now, six years later, the company operating the popular dating app Match, Tinder, Okcupid, Hinge and the abundant fish have agreed to a $14 million settlement, as announced by the FTC on Tuesday.
The FTC said $14 million will be used to provide “relief to injured consumers.”
According to the lawsuit, consumers were at risk of fraud after sending marketing emails about new messages from senders who were already identified as bots and fraudsters, and then deceived them to purchase a subscription while they were deliberately making profits.
Additionally, Match Group was accused of locking users from their accounts and maintaining the money without providing the services they paid after attempting to challenge the fees. The company was also accused of making it difficult for users to cancel their subscriptions.
The proposed order requires the Match Group to take several steps to address the issue, in addition to the $14 million settlement.
For example, the company should clearly spell out the details of the six-month warranty so that it does not take any adverse actions against the client raising the claims issue. They also need to provide an easy way for users to cancel their subscription.
The settlement comes as the company continues to face criticism about how it handles trust and safety issues. The hope is that the proposed orders will help improve the user's experience.