TURKISH MINUTE – Turkey has blocked access to nine dating and social platforms, including OkCupid, Feeld, GROWLR, Zoe and Lex. Bindr, u4Bear, Disco and TheBlowers were also blocked under the court order, with no reason given for the decision. It follows a separate ruling in June that blocked 14 platforms, including Taimi, SCRUFF, Jack’d and ROMEO. Grindr has been inaccessible in Turkey since 2013.
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MASHABLE – Match Group has banned AI agents from reviewing profiles or messaging matches on behalf of users on Tinder and Hinge. CEO Spencer Rascoff said people should still be choosing and talking to potential matches themselves, rather than handing the process over to bots. Match Group is continuing to use AI within its own products, including Tinder’s Chemistry and upcoming Missed Connections features, and Hinge’s Convo Starters. Its Singles in America survey found half of singles would not use AI for dating, although 37% said someone using it would not be a dealbreaker.
PRNEWSWIRE – Kelleher International has named Jennifer Wills sole CEO after previously serving as Co-CEO and President. Wills joined the luxury matchmaking firm in 2016 and will now oversee its operations, global team, and growth strategy as Kelleher marks its 40th anniversary. The company is planning several new offerings for 2027, including a matchmaking intelligence platform built around decades of relationship data, portable verified client identity, and new membership options designed to expand access to its global network. Kelleher currently operates across more than 18 cities, serving high-net-worth clients through human-curated matchmaking.
FUNNEL FOX – A FunnelFox roundtable with former Tinder CPO Ravi Mehta, former Tinder and Grindr monetization lead Shawn Gong, and Reev founder May Ku looked at what still works in dating app growth and monetization. The panel argued that dating apps should focus on reducing “bad churn” rather than worrying about users who leave after finding a relationship, and warned that too many paywalls can hurt both revenue and retention. Gong said Grindr increased revenue after making some low-converting paid features free, while Mehta said dating startups should build a strong user network before focusing on monetization. Tinder’s weekly subscription became one of its most popular products, particularly among younger women, reflecting the fact that many users do not expect to stay on a dating app for months.
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OPW – Bumble reported Q3 2026 revenue of $207.1M, down 16% YOY. Total paying users fell 14% to 3.08M, including 1.99M on Bumble and 1.09M across Badoo and Other. Net earnings declined to $31.6M from $51.6M a year earlier. The results were disclosed through an SEC filing as Bumble moves toward its $1.3B acquisition by Ithaca Holdings. Shareholders have approved the deal, which remains subject to regulatory clearance.
OPW – The next Love, Tech & Relationships (LTR) session takes place on November 5 at 11:45 AM EST (New York time), featuring Viktor Cindric, Director of UX, Conversion & Optimization at Courtland Brooks. Viktor, who has worked in the dating industry since 2012, will share results from a series of tests he has run, their outcomes, and insights dating apps and sites can use to improve user experience.
Session by invitation only. Register here to apply for the invitation list.
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APPLE – Apple is introducing new App Store age-rating rules for dating and location-sharing apps from November 16. Developers will need to declare whether their apps include dating, romantic, or virtual companion features, with apps in the Dating and Relationships category receiving a minimum 18+ rating. All existing apps must complete the new declarations by January 12, 2027. Brazil will apply an A18 rating to dating apps and A16 to apps with shared-location features.
