LOS ANGELES TIMES – Tinder is expanding its in-person singles events following a successful LA pilot, adding nine cities across the US and Europe and planning to reach another 16 markets by September. Events include rooftop yoga, hikes and brewery meetups organized with existing local providers, with users able to see interested attendees and connect after an event. Tinder has held ~60 events in Los Angeles, and 71% of users aged 18 to 24 engaged with the events tab.
ICIJ – An International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) investigation alleges that Social Discovery Group dating platforms use models, influencers and engagement targets to keep paying members buying credits. Dmitry Volkov, the group’s founder and CEO, owns Social Discovery Group and related companies including SOL Networks and SOL Holdings. Together, the businesses operate ~60 dating brands, including Dating.com, AmoLatina, DateMyAge, Dil Mil, AnastasiaDate and Cupid Media.
Customers interviewed by ICIJ said they spent thousands of dollars communicating with attractive, verified profiles that repeatedly avoided live calls and meetings. One customer reportedly spent ~$130K. A Colombian model said she was paid for photos and videos but did not operate the profile or communicate with users.
Social Discovery Group denies paying models, employing chat operators or allowing third parties to manage accounts. It says marketing partners may recruit and support free users but cannot pay them or communicate on their behalf. A separate US civil racketeering case alleges that model-based profiles were used to encourage users to buy credits. The case remains unresolved after being referred to arbitration.
SDG says it has suspended payments to an affiliate and commissioned an external investigation, but whether this represents genuine reform or a crisis-management exercise remains to be seen.
OPW – Indian dating platform flutrr has appointed Ankit Santra as Chief Marketing Officer, succeeding co-founder Anirban Banerjee, who led the company’s marketing for five years. Santra was previously flutrr’s Creative Head and played a central role in its recent rebranding. Banerjee has moved into the role of Interim CEO and will work alongside CEO Kaushik Banerjee as the company restructures its teams, advances product development and executes its next phase of growth.
IT’S NICE THAT – Hinge CEO Jackie Jantos said the dating app is adapting its products to the changing needs of Gen Z, which now represents more than half of its users. Hinge follows a “designing with, not for” approach, involving people with different lived experiences in product development. One result is Match Note, a private, non-screenshotable screen where users can disclose personal information, such as having ADHD, before beginning a conversation. Jantos, who moved from CMO to CEO in late 2025, said Hinge’s “Designed to Be Deleted” positioning also guides product decisions, including detailed onboarding and limits on simultaneous conversations, with the goal of moving users from the app to in-person dates.
INDIAN TELEVISION – Info Edge-owned dating platform Aisle has promoted Chandni Gaglani to Executive Vice President and Head of the business. Gaglani, who previously led product, marketing, operations, partnerships and expansion, will oversee Aisle’s overall strategy, AI-led product development, trust and safety, and entry into new markets. Aisle claims 30M registered users, 500K MAUs, and increased revenue by 146%. The platform operates in ~150 countries and plans to expand its regional offerings, including Arike, following its full acquisition by Info Edge earlier this year.
HER WORLD – Coffee Meets Bagel has launched CMB 2.0, introducing AI conversation prompts, a Real Dates scheduling feature, and Singpass identity verification in Singapore. The app also expanded its AI moderation tools to detect fake profiles and inappropriate messages. Since the rollout began in June 2026, the company says messages sent with likes have increased 30%, while average profile viewing time is up 21%.
BUSINESS INSIDER – Relationship wellness startup Arya has acquired couples app Flamme, which has ~200K users. The apps will remain separate while Arya adds its AI-powered subscriptions, coaching, and e-commerce tools. The deal is Arya’s first acquisition following its recent $21M funding round and marks the start of its strategy to acquire more relationship and women’s health apps.
USA TODAY – Hily says social media, not just dating apps, is increasingly shaping how people date. In a survey of 3K U.S. daters, 2 in 5 said they feel less attractive if they aren’t going on enough dates, while about one in five said dating “average” people could hurt their social image. Hily calls this the “Dater-Spectator Effect,” arguing that curated social media content is making some people choose dates based on how they will appear online rather than on genuine compatibility. The report also found that 48% of women and 53% of men plan to reduce their social media use to lessen its influence on their dating lives.
THE NEXT WEB – AI is increasingly writing dating conversations, and dating apps aren’t stopping it. A Match Group/Kinsey Institute report found that 26% of U.S. adults and 49% of Gen Z daters have used AI for dating help, from writing messages to creating profiles. Match CEO Spencer Rascoff said there is little the company can do about off-platform AI coaching, while Hinge and Bumble have no policies banning AI-generated messages. As AI-written conversations become more common, users are raising concerns that matches may be interacting with chatbot-generated personalities rather than the people themselves.
VICE – Seeking.com has introduced a new AI fraud detection system to stop romance scammers before they reach users. The platform uses selfie verification, identity checks, and behavioural analysis, claiming it blocks more than 90% of scam accounts during signup. It will also publicly display images of blocked scammers to raise awareness and push the dating industry to improve user safety.