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

Chinese AI Matchmaker Liangpei Raises RMB15M in Angel Funding

Posted on August 25, 2026
Liangpei

36KR – Chinese AI matchmaking startup Liangpei Technology has raised RMB15M ($2.2M) in angel funding from Capital Today for a 20% stake. Its AI matchmaker verifies users through real-name checks, facial recognition, and a 20-minute voice interview, then introduces one compatible person at a time instead of offering swipe-based browsing. The company launched its product 40 days ago and has registered ~10K users. Founder Zeng Xinxun previously worked on search recommendations at WeChat and TikTok and led AI search at Kimi.

See full article at 36Kr

Announcing LTR 54 With Markus Frind, Founder and Former CEO of PlentyOfFish.com

Posted on August 24, 2026

OPW – The next LTR online dating industry conference is on September 2nd at 12 PM EST. In this edition, Mark Brooks will interview Markus Frind, founder and former CEO of Plenty of Fish. They will discuss how Markus built and ran one of the world’s largest dating platforms, the lessons he learned along the way, and his views on the dating industry today. This promises to be a fascinating conversation with one of the industry’s most successful founders. Don’t miss it!

If you hold a full-time leadership role at an online dating, social discovery, or matchmaking company, you are welcome to join LTR events for free.

Why attend LTR?

🏠 Flexible: Attend from anywhere – no travel required.
⏰ Convenient: Live session. 90 minutes.
💰 Free: No registration fees.

See the LTR Edition 54 speakers and invite page here.

This event is kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink, and Matchmaker.com.

Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com to RSVP.

GDI Conference in London, Sep 16, 2026 – Full Agenda Confirmed

Posted on August 24, 2026
Exterior view of the Harbour Hotel entrance at night, featuring a lit sign, potted plants, and decorative balconies.

The Global Dating Insights London Conference will take place on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026, at the Richmond Harbour Hotel. Confirmed speakers include Matthew Gain, CEO of ParshipMeet Group; Karima Ben Abdelmalek, CEO of happn; Michael O’Sullivan, Founder of HubPeople; Benjamin Cooper, Director at Grindr; Mark Brooks, CEO of Courtland Brooks; Carsten Boltz, CEO, InSparx; Nicky Wake, Founder of Chapter 2 Dating; and others. Sessions will cover Trust & Safety, monetisation, AI, retention, changing dating audiences and M&A. On Tuesday, Sep 15, Mark Brooks will host the GDI London Leaders’ Lunch, a closed-door gathering for dating and social app CEOs and founders. Only 10 places are available, priced at £199 each. Pre-conference drinks will take place later that evening at The Roebuck in Richmond. The tickets for the GDI London Conference are available here.

The YouGov Relationships Survey

Posted on August 24, 2026
relationships

YOUGOV – A YouGov survey of 1,882 Britons found that two-thirds are currently in a relationship, with 90% of those describing themselves as happy. Work and mutual friends remain the most common ways couples meet, while dating apps account for one in nine relationships overall.  Most single Britons are happy being unattached, although 25% want a relationship now; 42% say they remain single because they have not met the right person, while 29% find dating stressful or difficult. 

See full article at YouGov

Bumble Tried to Change Dating, but the Dating Market Forced It to Change Instead

Posted on August 24, 2026
Bumble logo

WIRED – Bumble has ended its women-first rule, allowing men to initiate conversations. Bumble said 66% of surveyed women preferred men to message first and that testing increased chat initiation. However, some users fear the change will bring more unwanted messages and turn Bumble into another version of Tinder. The decision suggests that Bumble’s original women-first identity had become a commercial disadvantage as the company struggles to remain competitive and profitable.

See full article at Wired