Looking for a CEO Successor? Check Your Board of Directors

Posted on August 31, 2026
Match Group Spencer Rascoff

INC –  When Match Group was looking for a new CEO, they chose Spencer Rascoff, one of their board directors, to run the company. Rascoff joined the board in March 2024. Previously, he was a cofounder and CEO of real estate platform Zillow and cofounder of discount booking site Hotwire. Match Group realized that those experiences made Rascoff an ideal candidate to lead the company. In February 2025, the board named him CEO, replacing Bernard Kim, who stepped down amid disappointing financial results and pressure from activist investors. A report suggests that companies often pluck CEOs from their boards when they don’t have a succession plan in place, but some experts believe a director can be the best choice to lead a company. To revive Tinder, Rascoff has increased marketing spend and product innovation speed. Under Rascoff, Match Group has also acquired HER, the dating app for queer women, and made a $100M investment in Sniffies, a map-based cruising platform for queer men.

See full article at INC

Daters Are Using LinkedIn to Screen Matches

Posted on August 31, 2026
LinkedIn

FORTUNE – Some users and matchmakers treat LinkedIn as a source for romantic prospects, even though the company explicitly prohibits members from using it to pursue them. A June Zety survey of  ~1K U.S. employees found that one in four believe it’s “fair game” for romantic advances. The survey also found that 22% had reached out or responded to someone on LinkedIn with romantic intent, while 12% had formed a romantic relationship that originated on LinkedIn. “With ~100M verified members, it’s not a surprise that people come to us,” the LinkedIn spokesperson said. “But LinkedIn is a platform for professional growth and career advancement, not finding a date.” Online daters also use LinkedIn as a vetting tool. Professional matchmakers recommend researching potential partners online, including scanning their LinkedIn profiles. 

See full article at Fortune

Grindr Targets Wealthy Users With $350 Monthly Subscription

Posted on August 31, 2026
Grindr logo

FINANCIAL TIMES – Grindr plans to make more money from wealthy users through higher-priced subscriptions. It is testing Edge, an AI-powered service costing up to $350 a month, and developing an even more expensive lifestyle and experiences product. Grindr had 15M monthly active users in Q2 2026, but only 1.4M were paying customers. The company expects at least $540M in revenue and $232M in adjusted earnings this year.

See full article at Financial Times

Online Dating Jobs Listing Update – August 2026

Posted on August 28, 2026
job offers

OPW – An update to the online dating jobs listing is live here.

Below, see a couple of this month’s most interesting offers:
Bumble – Creative Director
Ditto AI – Head of Product
FFN – Director of Finance and Accounting Operations
Grindr – Director of Product, Ads
Hinge – Director of AI, Dating Outcomes
Hornet – Brazil Country Manager
Match Group – VP of Product Management, Trust & Safety
Matrimony – CFO
Muzz – Head of Safety and Support
Reflex Media – VP of People
Social Discovery Ventures – CTO (Cupid Media)
Together Light – VP of Talent

Do you have an idating industry job offer that is not included? Please, send it to tips@onlinepersonalswatch.com and we will add it to the list.

Seeking Says Its AI Blocks Over 90% of Attempted Scams

Posted on August 28, 2026
Seeking.com

VICE – Romance scam reports increased 22% YOY, with reported losses exceeding $1.16B in the first nine months of 2025, according to the FTC. Seeking requires new users to complete AI-assisted selfie verification and analyzes behavioral signals associated with fraud. The company says the system blocks ~90% of suspected scammers before they can message other users and publishes some rejected profiles.

See full article at Vice

South Korean Matchmaker Duo Fined $250K Over False Claims

Posted on August 27, 2026
Duo logo

AJP – South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission fined matchmaking company Duo 345M won ($250K) for false or exaggerated advertising. Duo claimed to have the industry’s largest numbers of professionals and graduates from prestigious universities, but used its own definitions and provided no competitor data to support the claims. It also falsely described itself as Korea’s only externally audited matchmaking company and advertised up to 230 professional matchmakers when only 188 employees arranged matches. The regulator ordered Duo to correct the advertising.

See full article at AJP

Interview With Yeet on Building a Dating App Around Real-Time Chats

Posted on August 27, 2026
Yeet

VIRAL NATION – Yeet is a Gen Z dating app that lets people chat before deciding whether to match. Co-founder and head of marketing Penny Chen said many of its features came from feedback collected through Founder Club, a Discord group with around 2,000 members. Users complained about swipe fatigue, ghosting, and matches that went nowhere. Yeet responded with real-time Vibin’ Chats and an AI assistant that suggests icebreakers without taking over the conversation. The app has more than 90,000 downloads, and 62% of completed Vibin’ Chats result in a mutual match.

See full article at Viral Nation

Thursday Hosts Packed Bookstore Singles Mixer in Los Angeles

Posted on August 26, 2026
Thursday

NEW YORK POST – Thursday launched in 2021 as a dating app available only one day a week. It has since pivoted to in-person singles events in 150 cities worldwide. Its latest Los Angeles event was a packed bookstore mixer in Culver City, where attendees circulated freely and wore stickers indicating whether they were interested in men, women, or both.

See full article at New York Post

Australia Court Finds eHarmony Misled Users Over Subscription Terms

Posted on August 26, 2026
eHarmony logo

REUTERS – Australia’s Federal Court found that eHarmony misled users about free access, automatic renewals, subscription length, cancellation rights and pricing. The court said renewal terms were displayed in small print late in the purchasing process, while advertised monthly prices did not clearly show the total cost of the subscription. The case was brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2023. Penalties and consumer compensation will be decided later, while eHarmony said it is reviewing the judgment.

See full article at Reuters

Podcast With Boston University Researcher on Why Users Are Leaving Dating Apps

Posted on August 25, 2026
Podcast With Boston University Researcher on Why Users Are Leaving Dating Apps

NPR – Dating apps are seeing a steady decline in paying users, with Match Group and Bumble both reporting subscriber losses. Boston University researcher Kathryn Coduto attributes the drop to technology fatigue, subscription costs and declining interest in swipe-based dating, particularly among Gen Z and millennials. Many users still keep free apps but increasingly prefer speed dating, running clubs and other interest-based events that guarantee face-to-face interaction. She said complaints such as ghosting and mismatched intentions are not unique to dating apps and also happen when people meet offline.

See full article at NPR