In the future, users of the dating app Tinder should be better informed about why they receive individual offers for premium functions. This was announced by the European Commission, to which the service has committed itself to this. There was previously a dialogue between the US company, the Commission and consumer protection authorities from the European Union. The issue was that the service used automated procedures to identify users “who showed little or no interest in its premium services at a standard price.” They were then automatically offered discounts. Because there was no information about this, the action was unfair, the commission explained.
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Commitment to more information
By mid-April, Tinder now wants to implement clear information about the fact that discounts for premium services are personalized using automated procedures, explains the EU Commission. If a price tier based on user age, which was also secretly in place until April 2022, is reintroduced, this would also have to be clearly informed in advance. Tinder had already stopped this practice before the investigation began. If users are offered personalized discounts for premium services, Tinder will also provide information about the reasons for this starting next month. These changes are intended to eliminate violations of EU consumer law, the statement says.
Like many other dating apps, Tinder offers various memberships. Depending on how much users pay, more functions are available to them. Premium users can find dates all over the world or be shown to others more quickly. A study by the Swedish Consumer Association revealed in 2022 that Tinder charged different prices from person to person for these expanded options. The consumer agency has now also led the dialogue with Tinder.
(my)