LINKEDIN – Three Day Rule has relaunched its iPhone app with Tai, an AI matchmaking assistant available by voice or text. The update adds daily Instant Matches, verified profiles, human matchmaker introductions, dating coaching, and a new content section. A $34.99 premium plan includes four introductions a month and priority for offline matches. The company is promoting the relaunch with a matchmaking bus travelling through New York City.
HINGE – Hinge says technology has created more digital interaction without making people feel closer, a problem it calls the “closeness crisis.” The company is holding its first Heads Up conference to bring together researchers, founders, and community groups to discuss healthier technology. Hinge argues that products should be measured by real-world outcomes rather than screen time.
LAW360 – The City of Hallandale Beach Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Personnel Retirement Trust has sued Match Group in Delaware for access to board records about reports of sexual assault and violence involving Tinder, Hinge, and other Match-owned apps. The shareholder wants to investigate whether directors properly monitored the company’s Sentinel safety database, which the complaint says has recorded reports of rape and assault since 2019. It is seeking board and committee minutes to establish what directors knew, how they responded, and whether they breached their duties. Match rejected several requests for the documents between September 2025 and August 2026.
NORTH TEXAS DAILY – Hundreds of fake parking tickets placed on cars at the University of North Texas were used to promote the dating app DOWN. The tickets were designed to resemble real parking citations but included a QR code linking to the app and encouraged students to go out on Friday night. UNT Transportation Services warned students not to scan the codes and said placing promotional material on vehicles without permission violates university policy. The stunt drew mixed reactions from students, with some finding it funny and others describing it as “creepy.”
PRESS RELEASE – Rivet has launched across the US after raising $10.5 million from Peak XV Partners, Shine Capital, and Blume Ventures. Former Tinder and OkCupid CEO Elie Seidman is an early investor and adviser. Founded by former Tinder and Match Group executive Taru Kapoor, the app allows people to join as daters or Matchers. Matchers review potential pairings and recommend those they believe could work. Pairs with strong ratings are introduced, and both daters then decide whether they want to match and start a conversation.
ADGULLY – Match Group’s Human Connection Survey found that 85% of Indian singles want a long-term relationship, rising to 89% among Gen Z. However, 35% often feel lonely, and 58% feel connected online but lonely in real life. Anukool Kumar, Match Group’s head of India and the Middle East, said Tinder is responding with more personalised recommendations, richer profiles, Double Date, Events, and mandatory Face Check for new users in India. AI will be used for matching, profile support, and detecting fake accounts, but not to write messages or decide whom users should date.
CHATTANOOGAN – The US Senate has unanimously passed the Romance Scam Prevention Act, sending it to President Trump for approval. The bill would require dating platforms to notify users who communicated with an account later removed for fraud. It is intended to protect people who continue speaking with scammers on other platforms after the fraudulent dating profile has been banned.
LINKEDIN – Parship and eharmony have expanded their “Courage” campaign for singles aged 40 and over. It began with TV ads featuring German presenter Charlotte Karlinder, who found love through Parship and spoke about starting again in midlife. The next phase features other midlife singles and will run across Meta and YouTube in several countries on three continents.
PINK NEWS – A YouGov poll of nearly 6,000 British adults found that 19% of straight women would date a bisexual man, compared with 53% of straight men who would date a bisexual woman. Concerns included cheating, insecurity, and discomfort with same-sex experiences. Older respondents were generally less willing than younger people to date someone bisexual.
OPW – Dating app Once has shifted from offering one curated match per day to operating as a chat and creator platform. The app now sells subscriptions and Gems, which users need in order to send messages and contact “popular” members. Once has a 1.2 Trustpilot rating, with complaints focusing on high messaging costs and allegations of fake or automated profiles. The company denies using fake or AI-generated profiles. Dating Group acquired Once in 2021 in a deal valued at up to $18M.