Pew Research: Nearly 40% of U.S. Adults Belong to Online Communities

Posted on October 15, 2026
Logo of Pew Research Center

PEW RESEARCH – New research from Pew Research Center finds ~40% of U.S. adults belong to an online community, rising to 48% among those aged 18–29. 70% of members say these spaces add value to their lives, mainly through information, entertainment, and advice. However, only ~20% feel very or extremely close to others in their most-visited community. Views on online relationships vary sharply: 54% of adults under 30 say they can be as meaningful as in-person relationships, compared with 14% of those aged 65 and older.

See full article at Pew Research

Lunch Actually CEO Urges Singles to Start Dating Earlier

Posted on October 15, 2026
Lunch Actually CEO Violet Lim

THE STRAITS TIMES – Lunch Actually CEO Violet Lim encourages young people to date during university rather than wait until their careers are established. Speaking to The Straits Times, she said rising expectations, endless choice and reluctance to commit are making relationships harder to build. She advises singles to decide whether to meet after about a week of chatting and consider a second date even without an immediate spark. Lunch Actually says it has arranged over 150K dates and matched ~ 4,500 married couples. Lim reports growing client numbers, including more people in their late 50s, 60s, and 70s seeking companionship.

See full article at The Straits Times

South Korea’s Matchmaking Agencies Grow 34% Since 2016

Posted on October 15, 2026
Korea's Matchmaking Firms Grow 34% as Wedding Halls Shrink

SEOUL ECONOMIC DAILY – South Korea had 2,176 registered matchmaking agency operators in August, up 34.4% from 2016, according to National Tax Service data. Over the same period, wedding venue operators fell 30.6% to 762. The divergence comes as marriages recover, reaching 240,326 last year, the highest since 2018. Marriages continued to rise this year, with July registrations up 9.3% compared with a year earlier.

See full article at Seoul Economic Daily

Bumble Launches Searchable Handles for Dating Profiles

Posted on October 15, 2026
Bumble Handle feature

FAST COMPANY – Bumble has launched Handles, searchable usernames that let people find and like a specific profile instead of relying only on the app’s recommendations. Users can share their handle when meeting someone in person, use it to introduce friends, or post it on social media. Messaging still requires a mutual match, and handles can be switched off at any time. The feature is currently available to iOS users in the US.

See full article at Fast Company

Hinge Wants to re-educate Bad Daters Instead of Banning Them

Posted on October 14, 2026
Hinge wants to re-educate bad daters instead of banning them

MASHABLE – Hinge will now give some users a second chance after minor harassment violations. Instead of an immediate ban, they must complete a short lesson on appropriate messaging before using the app again. Human moderators will decide which cases qualify. Serious or repeated offences will still result in a permanent ban.

See full article at Mashable

Stoke to Launch Venue-Based Dating and Friendship App in Miami

Posted on October 14, 2026
Stoke dating app

AXIOS – Stoke is a new app launching in Miami to help people meet for dating or friendship at local bars, cafés and gyms. Users check in at a participating venue, choose what they are looking for and see who else is there. If two people are interested in meeting, a chat opens. It disappears when they leave the venue. Founder Kevin Battista will test Stoke across five Wynwood venues on November 7. A wider launch is planned for January, with 60 venue partners. The app will be free for users, with partner venues paying to appear on the platform.

See full article at Axios

Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff: Tinder’s Turnaround Is About People

Posted on October 14, 2026
Tinder Events

BIGGO FINANCE – Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff discussed Tinder’s turnaround on the In Good Company podcast with Nicolai Tangen. He said the company had become too focused on short-term revenue and had stopped innovating. During his first year, he visited all 12 offices, cleared Tinder’s product roadmap and restarted its internship programme. The company is building more social features for Gen Z, which makes up ~60% of Tinder and Hinge users. Rascoff said younger singles prefer meeting in groups and through low-pressure activities. Tinder Events operates in 25 cities and is expected to reach 75+ by year-end. Double Date is used by ~25% of Gen Z users in the US and nearly half in Norway. Match Group has ~2,000 employees and operates in ~200 countries. Tinder is the leading dating app in 166 markets. Rascoff said free users remain essential because they create the large dating pool needed for the apps to work. He does not expect expensive matchmaking tiers to become a major source of revenue.

See full article at BigGo Finance

Ithaca Holdings to Acquire Bumble for $1.3B

Posted on October 13, 2026
Bumble Inc. logo

PRESS RELEASE – Ithaca Holdings has agreed to acquire Bumble in an all-cash deal valued at $1.3 billion. Shareholders will receive $6.05 per share, a 138% premium to Bumble’s closing price on October 9. The board approved the deal, and affiliates of Blackstone and founder Whitney Wolfe Herd provided the required shareholder approval. Bumble will become a private company and remain based in Austin, with offices in London and New York. Ithaca co-founders Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman will become co-CEOs, while Wolfe Herd will remain actively involved.

See full article at Bumble website

US Congressional Report Examines Match Group’s Response to Romance Scams

Posted on October 13, 2026
A smartphone displaying the Match Group logo

NBC NEWS – A year-long investigation by the US Congress Joint Economic Committee examined how Match Group handles romance scams across Tinder, Hinge, and its other dating platforms. It found that some of Tinder’s fraud-detection models had not been updated for several years. In Q3 2025, ~1.5M suspected scammers or other bad actors on Tinder and Hinge matched with users, while ~500K exchanged contact details. Match Group has since introduced new detection models, added 169 automated rules, and improved 108 existing ones. Tinder and Hinge now require biometric face checks for new users, helping prevent banned users from returning under new accounts. Match Group said these measures have reduced exposure to bad actors by ~60%. The committee welcomed the progress but said continued investment would be needed as scam tactics evolve.

See full article at NBC News

Bumble in Talks to Go Private in $1 Billion Deal

Posted on October 13, 2026
Bumble logo

REUTERS – Bumble is in advanced talks to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings in a deal valuing the dating app company at $1 billion. Ithaca Holdings is a technology investment company founded by Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman. Bumble shares jumped 50% on Monday following the news. Bumble went public in 2021 at a valuation of $14 billion. Annual revenue declined nearly 10% to $966 million in 2025, while paying users fell more than 11% to 3.7 million. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd returned as CEO in March 2025 and has since introduced AI-powered features and new ways for users to connect. Neither company has confirmed the proposed deal.

See full article at Reuters