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

State of Internet Scams 2023

SOCIAL CATFISH - In 2022, Americans lost a record $10.3B to online scams, a 277% increase from five years ago, with the average loss per victim rising to $12,859. Social Catfish's "State of Internet Scams 2023" study, based on FBI and FTC data, reveals alarming trends:

• 81% of romance scam victims didn't report their experiences, often due to shame.
• Only 4.2% of stolen funds were recovered, mainly due to jurisdictional issues, as most scams originate outside the U.S.
• Young people (under 20) showed a 2,500% increase in money lost over five years, though seniors remain the most victimized group.
• Most online scams occur on social media platforms like Facebook, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Plenty of Fish.
• The emergence of AI technologies like voice cloning and deepfake videos raises new challenges in online scams.
• The United States leads in the number of online scam victims.

by Osaji Obi
See full article at Social Catfish

Match Group's "Are You Sure?" Feature to Expand to Millions of Users Across Match, Stir, OurTime & More

PR NEWSWIRE - Match Group is introducing its anti-harassment feature "Are You Sure?" (AYS?) to users across several platforms, including Match, Stir, OurTime, BLK, Chispa, and Upward, with Hinge planning to adopt it next year. Initially launched on Tinder in 2021 and later on Plenty of Fish and Meetic, AYS? has prevented ~500M potentially problematic or harassing messages by prompting users to reconsider their words before sending. The feature, which uses automated tools to flag potentially harmful language, has led to an 84% decrease in triggering on Plenty of Fish, showing its effectiveness in changing user behavior. The feature is available in 18 languages and is part of Match Group's efforts, including an upcoming "Respect Before Swiping" campaign, to promote respectful interactions and boundaries on its platforms.

See full article at PR Newswire

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Plenty of Fish Survey: Authenticity Wins in Modern Dating

PR NEWSWIRE - A recent Plenty of Fish survey shows that 74% of Gen Z and millennial singles value authenticity in dating, even if it's considered "cringey." The study highlights a growing comfort in being upfront about personal quirks and interests, with 73% stating that such openness is crucial in getting to know a potential partner. Bad manners are universally deemed undesirable, while being straightforward about dating intentions is now more accepted. The findings suggest a trend towards greater authenticity in dating.

See full article at PR Newswire

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Plenty Of Fish Did a Hard Reset on Its Brand and Media Mix

AD EXCHANGER - As an early online dating brand, the Match Group-owned company, founded in 2003 in Vancouver, Canada, has had to stay on its toes to remain relevant. Over the years, Plenty of Fish has evolved from a website only to iOS and Android apps and other channels like in-app video calls, voice memos and live streaming. Plenty of Fish underwent a significant rebrand to target users aged 25-35. They launched new features like an in-app game and emphasized its stand against face filters. To bolster its new image, they diversified their ad spend across online platforms, CTV, and offline channels in New York and Texas. This rebranding doubled their platform engagement, increased app installs, and reduced registration costs, emphasizing genuine connections over superficial interactions.

by Hana Yoo
See full article at Ad Exchanger

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28% of Consumers Look for Love on Dating Apps in Early 2023

PYMNTS - Spring and summer are prime dating seasons, and like other human behaviors, the pandemic has increased consumer reliance on digital tools to find that special someone. According to the PYMNTS study "ConnectedEconomy™ Monthly Report: The Love and Social Media Edition", 28% of US consumers, or ~73M people used dating apps in March. That's a 21% increase from the same month last year. 12% of men use dating apps and sites daily, versus 7.5% of women. Generation Z consumers and millennials also account for a disproportionate number of the consumers who use dating apps and sites. In total, 55% of Gen Z and 50% of millennials use some type of dating app or site. Dating apps were downloaded more than 60M times last year in the U.S., with Tinder, Bumble and Hinge representing 60% of those downloads in any given month, on average. Plenty of Fish, MeetMe, Tagged, Grindr, Badoo and Wink make up the tail end of the online dating market.

See full article at PYMTS

Plenty of Fish's 'Gallery of Dick Pics': a Creative Campaign Tackling Unsolicited Photos

THE DRUM - Plenty of Fish launched an out-of-home campaign in New York City's Lafayette subway station called the "Gallery of Dick Pics" to draw attention to the issue of unsolicited explicit photos in online dating. The campaign features tasteful portraits of users who reportedly got dates after the campaign's launch. The aim is to address the problem of sending explicit photos without consent in a light-hearted manner while calling it out. The campaign is part of Plenty of Fish's rebranding efforts to position itself as a challenger brand in the competitive dating app space. Subway ads are chosen because they yield powerful results, capturing commuters' attention and creating social media engagement. The campaign also involved a gift shop truck, influencer collaborations, word-on-the-street-style interviews, and a "No d*ck pics" badge on the app.

by Audrey Kemp
See full article at The Drum

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Plenty of Fish Launches New Feature to Cut Unsolicited Nude Pictures

DEVON LIVE - Plenty of Fish has introduced the "No D*ck Pic" (NDP) badge, allowing users to signal that they don't want to send or receive unsolicited nude pictures. This feature follows research showing that 40% of British daters consider such images a major turn off, with 48% having received one from a match. The NDP badge is part of the app's ongoing commitment to promote positive dating behaviors. Another feature, "Are You Sure?", prompts users to reconsider potentially harmful language or emojis in their messages, resulting in a 13% reduction in offensive language since its global launch last year.

by Neil Shaw
See full article at Devon Live

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Malgosia Green Will Lead Match Group's Asian Expansion

FAST COMPANY - Malgosia Green is three months away from uprooting her life in Vancouver and fully immersing herself in Singapore as CEO of Match Group Asia. She was appointed to the newly created role earlier this year by Match Group CEO Bernard Kim. Prior to taking over as CEO of Match Group Asia, Green led Plenty of Fish for five years. Malgosia Green will be focusing on expanding the company's presence in Asia, particularly in Japan, where there is significant potential for growth. ~50% of women and 70% of men in their 20s in Japan are single, according to a 2022 white paper from the Japanese Gender Equality Bureau. Green also aims to bring the Hinge app to new Asian markets in the coming quarters. It currently operates in India. Much of Green's mission is focused on Hyperconnect, the Seoul-based social media and video tech company Match acquired in 2021 for $1.73B. Part of that development will be in AI, Green says.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
See full article at Fast Company

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Plenty of Fish Launches "Share My Date" Feature

PR NEWSWIRE - Plenty of Fish is rolling out a new feature called Share My Date, designed to let members' loved ones know who, when, and where they're meeting dates right from the app, keeping everyone in the loop. A recent survey of 14K Plenty of Fish members found more than three-quarters (78%) share details about upcoming in-person dates with friends and family that include the date's name, date, location, time, and more. The data also revealed that 40% of the members, including 56% of women, would be more likely to give those details to loved ones if there were a feature built into their dating app that made sharing easier.

See full aritcle at PR Newswire

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The $575M Success Story of Plenty of Fish Founder Markus Frind

BENZINGA - Markus Frind, a Canadian entrepreneur, created Plenty of Fish (POF) in 2003. POF differentiated itself from competitors by offering a free business model. The site grew to 15M users and $10M in revenue by 2008, and by 2014, its revenue reached $100M per year. Frind sold POF to Match Group in 2015 for $575M. All of this was done without ever taking a single investor dollar or having any other shareholders/partners. Since then, Frind has been involved in various ventures, including managing a billion-dollar investment portfolio, serving as a director of Cymax Group, and running a winery.

by Shanthi Rexaline
See full article at MSN

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Half of Singletons Have Received an Unwanted Nude Photo

THE SUN - A poll of 4K singletons who are actively dating found 28% are tired of negative experiences when looking for love, while 33% get easily irritated. Being ghosted without explanation (43%), getting stood up on a date (40%) and receiving unsolicited nude pictures (40%) are some of the main bugbears of those polled. The research was commissioned by Plenty of Fish, which has partnered with author and life coach, Michelle Elman, to create the 'Desirable Dating Guide'. It shares advice on how singles can tackle undesirable dating behaviours and engineer more positive experiences. Receiving unsolicited nude pictures proves a prevalent issue as nearly half of singles (48%) have previously been sent unsolicited pictures from a match or date.

by Becky Pemberton
See full article at The Sun

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Plenty of Fish Faces Age and Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

MSN - A class action lawsuit has been filed against Plenty of Fish (POF) alleging discrimination against users based on age and gender. The lawsuit alleges that the POF site's search engine contains an age range filter, which in some circumstances overrides the user's preference, resulting in age-based discrimination in violation of California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit seeks money damages of not less than $4K per class member and legal fees in excess of $5M.

See full article at MSN

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Plenty of Fish Study: Singles Take Steps to Better Themselves & Their Relationships

PR NEWSWIRE - According to a new survey from Plenty of Fish, singles are focused on finding new ways to show up as their best selves and, ultimately, to make dating a better, more welcoming experience. This year, 60% of singles started improving themselves for future relationships, and 93% believe that the efforts they're making are working and increasing their chances of finding. The survey also found that singles, especially men, are becoming increasingly self-aware regarding what went wrong in past relationships, with 73% of men and 66% of women seeing themselves as the "anti-hero" or problem in past relationships.

See full article at PR Newswire

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Being a Cheap Date Now an Attractive Quality

WALL STREET JOURNAL - Inflation has changed modern dating for Gen Zers and Millennials. Cheap dates are not only more common but an appealing quality. Half of single Gen Zers and Millennials are now seeking out less expensive places for dates, according to a survey of 8K people by Plenty of Fish.

by Rachel Wolfe
See full article at Wall Street Journal

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Plenty of Fish Introduces Dating Card Game "Cue'd up"

PR NEWSWIRE - With two-thirds (63%) of singles saying that breaking the ice is the hardest part about meeting someone new, Cue'd Up helps singles make better first impressions with conversation starters. Each Cue'd Up game consists of a small group of singles (six players max), and four rounds of gameplay. During each round, the players are presented with a humorous "cue" and are given 40 seconds to respond. From there, the responses are anonymously shared with the group and each player votes for their favorite answer.

The most popular questions in Cue'd Up initially include:
"I can't watch a movie without _____"
"My camera roll is full of _____"
"I could never date someone who hates _____"
"I never get tired of _____"

See full article at PR Newswire

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