Online Personals Watch: News on the Online Dating Industry and Business

DatingFactory.com Partners With Scamalytics Anti-scammer Protection

PRESS RELEASE - Oct 31 - White label dating provider, DatingFactory.com, has signed a deal with Scamalytics to provide advanced anti-scammer protection in addition to current protection systems. Scamalytics was designed specifically for online dating by industry veterans. The service models user behavior and adapts to changes in scamming methods. DatingFactory.com was established in 2009 and is an international white label dating platform with over 12,000 partners worldwide.

The full article was originally published at Dating Factory website, but is no longer available.

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IAC Reports Q3 2012 Results

PR NEWSWIRE - Oct 31 - IAC has reported its Q3 2012 financial results. Total revenues were $714.5M, up from $516.9M in Q3 2011. Match.com accounted for $178.2M of that revenue, up from $132.3M in Q3 2011. IAC has posted strong double digit growth in Revenue and Operating Income Before Amortization for 11 consecutive quarters. IAC completed its acquisition of The About Group on September 24, 2012 for $300M.

The full article was originally published at Yahoo Finance, but is no longer available.

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Twoology Releases Obama And Romney Videos

PRESS RELEASE - Oct 31 – Couples website, Twoology.com, has released two videos about America's First Couple, President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle and Mitt and Ann Romney. The site claims the videos are “controversial, revealing and hilarious.” The public is asked to cast their politics aside and vote for which presidential couple is likely to have the most genuinely loving, authentic and romantic relationship.

Date My School: Online Dating For College Students

ROUNDUP DAILY - Oct 31 - Date My School is an online dating website launched by two Columbia University business students two years ago. The site has since grown to 150,000 users at more than 1,300 four-year colleges and universities. Users must have a verified “.edu” email to join the service as it is exclusively for college students.

by Tara Melton
The full article was originally published at Roundup Daily, but is no longer available.

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Jiayuan Launches Izhenxin.com For Marriage-minded Singles

PR NEWSWIRE - Oct 30 - Chinese dating company Jiayuan has launched a new site designed specifically for marriage-minded singles. Izhenxin.com builds upon Jiayuan's proven platform with enhanced verification of personal information and user behavior analysis. According to Wu Linguang, co-CEO of Jiayuan, "A growing number of Chinese singles place a premium on simplicity and verified personal information.”

The full article was originally published at SacBee, but is no longer available.

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SuicideGirls.com Creators Launch New Dating App: Let's Date

TECH CRUNCH - Oct 30 - A team of SuicideGirls founders and an early employee have created a new dating app called Let's Date. Users sign up via Facebook Connect, but the service requires at least 50 friends to join. The service populates a member's “dating card” by analyzing their Facebook profile. Users may also hide their dating card from their Facebook friends. According to co-founder, Sean Suhl, “You just casually browse people’s cards and let us know your reaction and our system learns how to deliver better cards to you.”

by Cyan Banister
See full article at Tech Crunch

Glamour Magazine: 1 In 10 Profiles Are Scams

VENTURE BEAT - Oct 30 - A special report published in this month's issue of Glamour Magazine highlights the dangers of scammers in online dating. “On most dating sites, one out of 10 profiles is a scammer,” Mark Brooks, editor of Online Personals Watch told Glamour. Con artists will user publicly obtained profile photos, often of military members, and create a fake profile to target people. The FBI recently issued a warning about a different kind of online dating scam known as “ransomware.” It’s a virus that will make your computer inoperable until you hand over a payment.

by Christina Farr
See full article at Venture Beat

Mark Brooks: B.S. misquote. I said, 'on some sites as many as 1 in 10 profiles is a scammer.'

WhiteLabelDating.com Reports A Record-Breaking FY2012

PR NEWSWIRE - Oct 30 - WhiteLabelDating.com, which provides software and services to the dating industry has posted a record-breaking financial year. WLD paid out over $80 million in revenues to its top-tier and fast-growing partners. The company has enjoyed a 106% increase in new members on the platform in the past year, with 775,000 new members in August 2012 alone. According to Matthew Pitt, Operations Director at WLD, "2012 has been a fantastic year for the company and our partners, with total revenues growing by +61% to reach annualised revenues of £46m.”

See full article at IT News Online

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UniversityLoveConnection.com Goes Through Remodel, Hopes To Rival Facebook

MARKET WATCH - Oct 29 - UniversityLoveConnection, which was founded before Facebook in 1999 at UNLV, is going through a $200,000 remodel. The site is presenting its new college social network transformation to provide college students with the latest features to meet peers. ULC will feature virtual study halls, web cam and fast chat, and a college sports section.

The full article was originally published at MarketWatch, but is no longer available.

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Queen Sofia Of Spain Sues Ashley Madison

NY DAILY NEWS - Oct 29 – Queen Sofia of Spain is suing Ashley Madison for using an unauthorized photoshopped picture of her draped around a semi-naked young man in an advertisement. The ad, which was originally published in February, has resurfaced in a newspaper published by Ashley Madison. The advertising regulatory board, Autocontrol, has ordered the ad to be removed.

by Lee Moran
See full article at NY Daily News

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theComplete.me And Mirror.co Take The Anonymity Out Of Online Dating

NY POST - Oct 27 – theComplete.me and Mirror.co are two new online dating companies that launched in March which mandate transparency. Mirror.co requires a phone number, which is used in a double-blind text messaging system and also has a vouching system. TheComplete.me uses verified Facebook accounts to mimic the way singles meet in traditional ways.

by Jozen Cummings
The full article was originally published at NY Post, but is no longer available.

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Technology Addresses The Issues Of Dating In China

THE NEXT WEB - Oct 27 – China's national policies, economic reform, and urban migration have created challenges for the country's one billion residents when it comes to relationships. Chinese Internet companies are developing online dating sites designed to meet the specific issues men and women face here. One company is Jiayuan with nearly 70 million members. Momo, a Chinese iPhone social networking app has grown to 16 million members and raised $40m in funding with a $100m valuation.

by Josh Ong
See full article at The Next Web

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iDate Dating Industry Conference Begins November 7 In Sydney

WEBWIRE - Oct 29 – A special pre-session has been added for the 31st Internet Dating Industry Conference in Sydney. Mark Brooks, publisher of Online Personals Watch and CEO of Courtland Brooks, will provide a special 3 hour session “Introduction to the Online Dating Business” on November 7. This session is ideal for business executives and entrepreneurs looking to enter the business. Read more here.

David Iwanow, SEO manager at Amnesia Razorfish will also be speaking at the conference. He will discuss content marketing and linking for the dating industry. Read more here.

Max McGuire, CEO of RedHotPie, will also be speaking at iDate. McGuire is a 10 year veteran in the Australian online dating and social networking industry and as such has witnessed the growth, evolution and trends that have come about during this time. Read more here.

Online Dating Is A £2bn Industry

HUFFINGTON POST - Oct 26 – The online dating industry is estimated to be worth more than £2bn world-wide. The industry's growth has continued despite the recession in the global economy. Huffington Post interviewed a number of industry executives including Matthew Pitt, operations director at Global Personals, who believes the market is difficult to get into unless you have a “very deep pockets and a differentiated dating offering”.

by Charlie Thomas
See full article at Huffington Post

Niche Dating Sites Changing The Dating Game

LA TIMES - Oct 28 – Hyper-specific niche matchmaking sites are changing the online dating game. Site like Atlasphere, VeggieDate and DisabledCupid allow users to find potential matches from people who share very important common traits. Dr. Robert Epstein, a San Diego County research psychologist, believes this can be the basis for a successful relationship.

by L.J. Wiliamson
See full article at LA Times

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