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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Anna Akbari fell for a man on a dating site. They never met in person as he kept canceling.</li><li>She challenged him seven weeks after they met when she became suspicious about his identity.</li></ul>Scrolling through the profiles on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/okcupid-leading-inclusive-movement-online-dating-diversity-innovation-2022-6">OkCupid</a>, Anna Akbari was drawn to a man who seemed handsome, witty, and highly intelligent.The pair <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/how-to-use-google-chat">connected via Gchat</a> and email. They'd write to each other for hours — often throughout the night — discussing everything from their past relationships, families, and careers to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recession-inflation-unemployment-outlook-lazar-economy-inequality-stocks-house-prices-2024-5">the state of the economy</a>.Soon, Akbari fell for her admirer — Ethan Schuman, who claimed to be a 35-year-old graduate of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/columbia-cancels-university-wide-commencement-protests-israel-gaza-2024-5">Columbia University </a>and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-uses-playrgound-ai-for-professional-headshot-turned-white-2023-8"> MIT </a>— and the pair arranged to meet in person.But they never did. Every time they made a date, Schuman canceled at the last minute for health, weather, or work reasons.Her suspicions were raised; she did some detective work and found that Schuman was not who he said he was. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/people-were-catfished-by-someone-using-a-models-photos-2022-9">He was a catfisher</a> — a person who fakes their online identity to trick victims into thinking they are someone else.Akbari's new book, "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.annaakbari.com/thereisnoethan">There Is No Ethan</a>," chronicles her traumatic experience. It tells how she was taken in but discovered he was too good to be true. She then tracked down two of his other targets.<h2 id="b17d976f-83f0-4bcf-9742-1bb6a0bd25e3">The conversations were flirtatious</h2>When she met Schuman in December 2010, the former <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nyu-professor-teaches-class-while-stuck-in-elevator-with-kids-2020-9">professor at New York University </a>told BI that she wanted a meaningful relationship."He made it clear that he was looking for something real," she told Business Insider. "It sounded very promising and exciting."She said they typed lengthy emails or did instant messaging."Gchat was popular because texting on phones wasn't as ubiquitous as it is today, " Akbari added. "It was easier to use your computer."The pair exchanged photographs, and their conversations occasionally turned intimate. "It wasn't raunchy, but it was flirtatious — and sexual at times," Akbari said.Schuman, who said he split his time between <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-in-dc-avoid-crowds-monuments-smithsonian-tips-2023-7">Washington, DC</a>, New York, and Ireland, talked about his stressful job in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/private-credit-lenders-middle-market-deals-2023-11">the financial industry</a>.The pair never spoke on the phone — Schuman had an Irish cellphone that was too expensive to call — and decided not to video chat."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facetime">FaceTime didn't exist </a>at the time, and Skype was grainy and weird," Akbari, a sociologist, told BI.They arranged two dates in New York City, but heavy snowstorms thwarted them. "He couldn't drive from DC to see me," Akbari said. Another time, Schuman canceled because he said he was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/business-travel-policies-avoid-burnout-work-trip-2024-2">sent on a business trip</a> to Japan at the last minute.Meanwhile, important family occasions would happen out of the blue. "It was frustrating, but his excuses seemed plausible," she said.<h2 id="fd7a648b-5fc5-4d0a-af0b-a3b664c3f629">The catfisher said he had cancer</h2>Then, around two weeks after they met, Schuman said he'd been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-from-new-jersey-west-virginia-regrets-poor-healthcare-2023-9">diagnosed with esophageal cancer.</a>"I had lost my grandfather to cancer about a month prior, and Ethan knew how close we'd been," Akbari said. "Of course, once I learned that he was sick, I wasn't going to abandon him." Adding how she felt devastated for him.<div type="image" title="A woman wearing a blue halter neck dress" height="4106" width="5474" msid="110570721" hostid="261" sizebytes="1801358"></div>But Schuman fobbed her off when she asked to visit him during his treatment. He manipulated her by saying she was coming on too strong. Then he'd be remorseful and needy."I was hooked. Ethan felt more like a drug than a boyfriend," Akbari wrote in her book.Then, after being strung along for almost a month, she contacted a friend in his mid-30s who was educated at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-prestigious-private-middle-high-schools-new-york-city-2023-6">prestigious high school</a> Schuman claimed to have attended. They also appeared to have overlapped at Columbia University."They were big schools, but my friend was very social and heavily networked," Akbari told BI. "I said I was excited because I'd met someone he might know."She sent Schuman's photo, but the friend didn't recognize him. He asked his cohorts, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/social-media-high-school-reunion-planning-committee-2023-11">checked yearbooks, </a>and came up blank. "That's when I started to feel something odd here," Akbari said, who still gave Schuman the benefit of the doubt.But she finally lost patience a few days before <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/polyamory-metamour-celebrate-valentines-day-2024-2">Valentine's Day</a> 2011. Schuman backed out of plans to spend the weekend at a friend's home as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-swap-homes-on-facebook-tiktok-2023-9">part of a house swap</a>.<h2 id="e1492479-f82a-451e-a00f-2f5a0054fba6">She found more women who had been catfished</h2>Soon afterward, a stranger, Gina Dallago, contacted her friend from Columbia <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/how-to-contact-facebook-problems-with-account-other-issues">through Facebook</a>. She'd also been involved with Schuman and searched online for other people who attended his supposed schools in overlapping years.Dallago sent the friend a photo of Schuman. The friend connected the two women since the man in the photo appeared to be the same man in the virtual relationship with Akbari.<div type="image" title="A woman crouching down wearing a white sundress and red sandals." height="503" width="670" msid="110570722" hostid="261" sizebytes="23886"></div>They compared notes and discovered that Schuman had fed them an assortment of lies, including the cancer diagnosis and stories about serious car accidents that hadn't happened. They discussed his mentioning an on-off, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-only-been-long-distance-relationships-whole-life-2024-1">long-distance relationship </a>with a woman named Anna from the UK. The pair pieced together enough of the jigsaw to find Anna on Facebook. Akbari has honored her wishes not to disclose her last name.Schuman had managed to con Anna for two and a half years. He'd sent her a forged driving license, power points from his supposed job, and even copies of papers he claimed to have written at MIT.<h2 id="d4af2a6e-4611-41ab-a800-805bf2c76280">The women wondered how many other victims there were</h2>Worse, they shared their experience of Schuman's mind games — the way he'd played hot and cold, toxically manipulating them into revealing their emotions and secrets. His other favorite tactic was to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-of-bad-toxic-friends-how-to-deal-break-up-2024-5">make them jealous </a>of other women he claimed were in his life."We didn't know who this person was or why they were doing it," Akbari told BI. "We thought, 'How many people are out there like us?'"Dallago confronted Schuman online. The women discovered they'd been catfished after he admitted adopting the fake name for the sake of "caution." It later transpired that he'd sent them photos of a high school friend, not him.Akbari wrote in "There Is No Ethan," "This was not one silly fake email he'd sent. This was months and hundreds of hours spent forging a real, intimate connection while presenting us with dramatic events and life-threatening illnesses, interspersed with very real verbal and emotional abuse — all based on lies."Still, of all the revelations, the most shocking was that Schuman was a woman. Anna recalled Schuman once telling her about his "chill" cousin and former roommate, Emily Slutsky.They checked out Slutsky <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-cringe-how-to-post-new-job-hiring-resume-2024-3">on LinkedIn</a> — even her Goodreads profile. Her interests and biographical details — including her studies at Columbia and MIT — mirrored Schuman's.Dallago called Slutsky's parents after finding their number on Spokeo. She posed as a friend who'd lost touch with his daughter. The dad said she was at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/medical-school-cost">medical school</a> in Cork, Ireland, and gave her Slutsky's email and cell.<div type="image" title="The cover of the book &quot;There Is No Ethan&quot; by Anna Akbari" height="1379" width="1839" msid="110570723" hostid="261" sizebytes="573258"></div>The women sent a message to Slutsky's email. "Received," she simply wrote back. Next, she reverted to communicating on Schuman's email. "Emily was Ethan, and Ethan was Emily," Akbari wrote in the book.<h2 id="ecd89c1b-f425-43c9-a9a4-35c2cd7a7109">Akbari believed the mind games were about power</h2>Slutsky, now <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-supplements-pcos-polycystic-ovary-syndrome-doctor-recommended-2024-1">employed as an OB/GYN </a>at a leading teaching hospital, spoke with Dallago and Anna on the phone. She came clean but didn't explain her actions or motives. Later, she claimed she imagined the trio as characters in a novel "in her head." Akbari and the others were not convinced."I believe it had to do with power," Akbari said. "We know it wasn't for financial gain, but I can't speak to whether any <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/high-sex-drive">sexual gratification</a> was derived from this.As for Akbari's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/secrets-destroy-trust-relationship-therapist-advice-2024-1">current trust in others</a>, she said she hadn't given Slutsky the satisfaction of ruining her relationships. "I refuse to give away that power," she said. "The exploitation of one person is not going to scare me into not living a full life."BI contacted Slutsky for comment but has not yet received a reply. In the afterword of "There Is No Ethan," Akbari wrote that, as the book was going to print, Slutsky's lawyer sent a letter stating that "the events were in the past" and that publication of the book "would carry a very human cost."

A woman unmasked her catfisher after finding 2 more victims. They were surprised to find the catfisher's true identity.

<ul><li><keyword id="228306" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OkCupid">OkCupid</keyword> launches over 60 identities.</li><li>This is in addition to over 20 sexual orientations, 22 gender options that OkCupid users can choose from along with an option to create their own pronouns that’s already present on the app.</li></ul>In its endeavour to provide an inclusive experience for all daters, this <keyword id="168821" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pride-Month">Pride Month</keyword>, OkCupid made a global announcement to release over 60 identities for users to choose from an array of options like Bear, Bottom, Butch, Femme, Hard Femme, High Femme, Otter, Boi, Versatile, etc, to allow members of the community the option to signal who they are, how they identify and what they want in a partner. These identities have been developed in consultation with staff and community experts, including the <a href="https://give.hrc.org/page/83955/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=or_gnr_hrc_OKCupid_062021" target="_blank">Human Rights Campaign</a>, which is the largest LGBTQ rights organization. This app development reinforces OkCupid’s message of ‘Find Your Kind Of Love’, and reminds people looking for love to never compromise. This announcement follows OkCupid’s legacy of inclusivity. It was the first dating app to give users the choice to use their preferred pronoun or create one to add to their profile. This has led to almost 2 million straight and queer users proudly displaying their pronouns on their dating profiles worldwide. It was also found that 7 in 10 Indians on OkCupid say it’s important to them that their match cares about the LGBTQ+ community and 97% of all respondents support marriage equality. Moreover, OkCupid was the first dating app to expand gender and orientation options for users with over 20 sexual orientations and 22 gender options to choose from helping users find a meaningful match for themselves in an authentic way. As conversations around Pride grow in momentum (and rightly so), OkCupid user’s responses to the questions on the app are clearly indicating that identity is more than just casual chatter when it comes to finding their kind of love. And what’s more, across gender, orientation and identity, Indians are clear about one thing- <keyword id="6858029" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Love-is-Love">Love Is Love</keyword>. OkCupid <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X1p8tnDsjYcVb5ihesE7UeiBt4Vy-vD_/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">released a film</a> celebrating this truth and love in all its glory which was released a while ago but will always be relevant. <div type="Youtube" id="qwusnFBmQ7g" title="Love is.. saying I love you" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qwusnFBmQ7g/mqdefault.jpg"></div> When asked about LGBTQ+ issues this is what millennial India had to say 1. 93% Indians believe gay marriage should be made legal 2. 98% Indian millennials on OkCupid self-report being a firm #AllyOfLove and supporting queer rights 3. 53% men and 69% women would participate in a public rally demanding equal rights for LGBTQ+ Indians <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="83309890" title="Best LGBTQ+ campaigns India has seen over the years" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

This Pride month OkCupid releases over 60 identities for LGBTQ+ users

<ul><li>Dating has seen a phenomenal change during the <keyword id="43587" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic">pandemic</keyword> and dating apps like <keyword id="228306" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OkCupid">OkCupid</keyword> are helping simplify meeting and building deep connections with people online.</li><li>We chat with <keyword id="3448882" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anukool-Kumar">Anukool Kumar</keyword>, <keyword id="267929" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing-director">Marketing Director</keyword>, OkCupid India on the pandemic's impact on its business and how it is making sure its platform is able to evolve with the changing needs of its users. </li></ul> The year 2020 had a profound impact on all our lives. As we were restricted to our homes, there was a transformation in the way we live our lives, buy, consume, watch, or even interact with people. With almost no physical contact with friends, families, technology came to our rescue. Businesses had to pivot quickly to stay relevant. For dating apps, the game is all in helping build human connections. So when people were socially distanced, the challenge was to do find new ways of building that connect. Again, technology came to the rescue. We saw many platforms introduce new features that enhanced overall experience for people using these apps. Virtual dates became an acceptable way of dating. It also brought a lot of first-time users to these platforms. For dating app OkCupid, the past one and a half years has been all about innovating and making it easier for people to connect on their platform and make the most of the experience. Last year, the platform rolled out its mobile app redesign globally called Stacks which is a new matching system that consolidates multiple discovery methods into one, making it even easier to find the type of person users are looking for. We caught up with Anukool Kumar, <keyword id="6354839" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing">Marketing</keyword> Director, OkCupid India to understand the kind of impact the pandemic has had on the platform, the strategies it used to keep its users at its core and its future in India. Excerpts: Q) How have the last 1.5 years been for OkCupid as a brand? How did the pandemic impact your business? In 2018, OkCupid was brought to India in response to a growing number of women looking for a serious relationship on their terms. The last few years have been so exciting for us as we’ve seen women discovering their independence and extending that security to choosing relationships that see them as more than just a horoscope or radius of a roti. The same holds for men in India who are seeking a partnership instead of traditional Indian gender roles in a marriage. The pandemic then created two major changes that affected the business of dating apps and OkCupid in particular. First, with fewer avenues to meet people we saw a surge in the number of first-time users on OkCupid with more women than ever before actively opening conversations. The second was a change in mindset-with time on their hands to introspect on the sort of relationship they’re looking for, single millennials ended conversations missing a spark faster while engaging in old school courtship online blurring the lines of IRL and online romance. What this meant for us as OkCupid is that there were more moments of serendipity on our platform impacting business (currently and in the future) positively while making a tangible difference in the social fabric of India. Q) Dating also evolved in these last 13-14 months. How have you as a platform been able to keep up with these changing times and evolving consumer needs? OkCupid has always been a platform that empowers users to find their kind of love based on shared interests, quirks and beliefs. With over 3000 questions at the heart of the product and more topical questions added in a timely manner, we ensure relevant subjects that matter most to millennial Indians are addressed by the app. In 2021, a lot of the focus has been on expressing one’s intent to get the vaccine and match with someone who believes in the same science; we've seen a 763% increase in mentions of the vaccine on OkCupid India's bios since March 2021. Hence to make it easier for our users to find a potential match who believes in the benefit of getting vaccinated, we introduced the ‘I’m vaccinated’ badge and stack as an endeavour to help people make informed decisions, especially in their search for love. Last year, we had also rolled out our biggest mobile app redesign globally called ‘Stacks’ which is a new matching system that consolidates multiple discovery methods into one, making it even easier to find the type of person you’re looking for. The new Stacks discovery experience shows matches in a focused, thoughtful way, and gives OkCupid daters the choice and control over who they could match with through a series of new categories including ‘online’ (to match with people who are online), ‘recommended’ (a stack of OkCupid’s top recommendations based on preferences), ‘nearby’, ‘match %’, etc. One of the key examples of this was the release of our first-ever global Climate Change Advocate Profile Badge and Stack in the weeks leading up to World Earth Day 2021, which was inspired by dating millennials on OkCupid who are passionate about climate change and believe in being advocates of the same. Q) Have there been any interesting trends you have witnessed on the platform since the pandemic? Dating has seen a phenomenal change during the pandemic with millennials increasingly taking their time to get to know each other, discovering love through long, profound conversations and digitally shared experiences. The quest for love has continued to increase, mirroring the need for human connection. We witnessed more and more millennials investing their time in forming stronger emotional bonds with their potential matches online before making plans to meet them in real life. There were also higher engagements with a potential partner, where the intentions are clear of wanting love by expressing exactly what they want in a relationship, also leading to higher unmatches that didn’t have any spark. The best parts of “courtship” or slow dating, is now the norm and it's proving to be a far more fulfilling connection. In fact, 85% of users on OkCupid believe it’s important to develop an emotional connection before a physical one, so the switch to virtual dates has allowed these emotional connections to thrive. Q) What kind of growth have you witnessed? Was there increased traction during the months of lockdown? What is your current user base? At OkCupid, we have a growing consumer base of millions of Indian users, as we continue to help millennials find love. The onset of the pandemic resulted in an increased number of conversations on OkCupid as millennials look for more serious and meaningful relationships. Globally, there’s been an overall 30% increase in messages sent on OkCupid each day since 2020. In India, we witnessed a 26% increase in conversations with over 91% of millennials still looking to date virtually and find love. We also noticed that during the lockdown millennials were not restricting their intention to find love within a certain pincode and expanded the distance to match with their potential partner. In fact, those who removed geographical restrictions continue to see 10% higher likes. Q) The last few years has seen the coming in of a lot of dating apps. How have you been able to differentiate yourself in space? OkCupid was founded in 2004 by Harvard mathematicians who believed in the power of questions to lead you to meaningful connections. The app is built around an algorithm that uses answers to over 3000 questions to introduce daters to people on the same wavelength - their kind of person. We make sure the algorithm makes connections based on the answers and preferences shared by the users and these are further contextualised by location, gender identity, and cultural realities. Over the last 15 years the questions that form the heart of the app have constantly evolved to serve daters looking for love. No other app tries to learn about your personality and preferences as much as OkCupid does, and our sophisticated algorithm makes the most relevant matches for users based on deeper things, like beliefs and interests, instead of just a photo and other parameters such as location. For that same reason, we have an intentionally long sign-up process of answering relevant questions to contextualize potential matches better. The algorithm considers your responses to questions, your preferences, interests and hobbies, and your profile to find the people you’re compatible with. This is the inimitable core of OkCupid and the reason why the app has led thousands of people to find their kind of love. OkCupid was also the first dating app that gave users the choice to use their preferred pronouns or create one to add to their profile along with 20 sexual orientations, 22 gender options and over 60 identities thus making it truly inclusive. Q) Give us a sense of your marketing journey so far... From a marketing POV, what is your current area of focus? Going ahead, what will be your broad marketing strategy? Is Digital your biggest spend? At OkCupid, the focus is towards creating a superior product for our Indian users to find love on their terms and our marketing efforts are directly correlated with that purpose. One of the biggest challenges the pandemic has caused is the hit that traditional media has taken. On the other hand, it has been an opportunity for digital media to grow. Digital content consumption is at an all-time high, which has led us to completely revamp our overall marketing strategy towards platforms that hold our audience’s attention. Our digital-first approach is not limited only to social media, but covers all platforms like YouTube or even podcasts. Our aim is to put our brand narrative out there - be it on a video streaming platform like Hotstar, or a music streaming platform like Spotify, or working with influencers to speak to our users on the app and connect with our target audience. The core of our strategy is to keep reinforcing the brand narrative of finding one’s own kind of love- across platforms and keeping our messaging consistent in all the engagement that we do. Q) Where will OkCupid's next phase of growth come from? From a marketing perspective, we are witnessing more and more people engaging in conversations around the kind of love they want. From an industry perspective, the pandemic has heightened digital content consumption and social media has managed to garner a lot of user engagement in the past year. Hence, our strategy is to keep reinforcing the brand narrative of finding one’s own kind of love across platforms and keeping our messaging consistent in all the engagement that we do. We will continue with our ‘Love Is’ campaign over the years to come, and continue to introduce features and questions on the app that make it more relevant to daters today. Q) Has there been an increase in your user base from smaller cities or do users from metros still make a majority of your users? At OkCupid, the bulk of our users in India belong to the age group of 25-35 years. These users are from metropolitan cities as well as Tier 2 and 3 cities. Q) How are you making the platform more inclusive? Since its inception OkCupid has been exclusively inclusive, respecting and celebrating every individual find their kind of love without fear of judgement. It was the first dating app to give users the choice to use their preferred pronoun or create one to add to their profile and expand gender and orientation options for users with over 20 sexual orientations and 22 gender options. This led to almost 2 million straight and queer users proudly displaying their pronouns on their dating profiles worldwide and find a meaningful match for themselves in an authentic way. In its endeavour to provide an inclusive experience for all daters, this Pride Month, OkCupid also made a global announcement to release over 60 identities for users to choose from an array of options like Bear, Bottom, Butch, Femme, Hard Femme, High Femme, Otter, Boi, Versatile, etc, to allow members of the LGBTQ+ community the option to signal who they are, how they identify and what they want in a partner. These identities were developed in consultation with staff and community experts, including the Human Rights Campaign, which is thelargest LGBTQ rights organization. This app development reinforces OkCupid’s message of ‘Find Your Kind Of Love’, and reminds people looking for love to never compromise. Q) What is your vision for OkCupid in India? Our vision is simple- remind single millennials that they deserve the love they seek and will find it. We live in a world that is filled with disappointment and despite the growing number of people seeking love there is also a growing sentiment that love doesn’t exist- not the romantic love that takes your feelings, beliefs and values into consideration. At OkCupid, we care about our users and are committed to helping users find their kind of love. For us, it’s all about giving our daters the value they look for and expect from the world on our platform. The pandemic has made us more careful of where we invest our emotions and time, and daters are no different. The fact that daters are coming on the app and actually finding love and the OkCupid love stories of all ages and types are a testament to this.

How OkCupid is evolving with the changing needs of its users

Reuters<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://businessinsider.com/category/grindr">Grindr</a> is sending users' identifying information and location to dozens of ad companies, according to a new watchdog report.</li><li>Grindr is the world's biggest gay dating app. By identifying its users to ad companies, it essentially broadcasts their sexual orientation to third parties.</li><li><a href="https://businessinsider.com/category/okcupid">OkCupid</a> and <a href="https://businessinsider.com/category/tinder">Tinder</a> also share users' dating choices and location with ad companies, the <a href="https://fil.forbrukerradet.no/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-01-14-out-of-control-final-version.pdf">report</a> found.</li><li>The report's authors have called on regulators in the US and Europe to investigate whether the apps are violating privacy laws.</li><li><a href="https://businessinsider.com">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>Many of Grindr's users intentionally browse the app discreetly, hiding their name and face from public view to avoid being outed on the world's most popular gay dating app. Its logo, a mask, points to this air of secrecy.But Grindr itself is sending advertising companies identifying information about its users, which in turn is shared with many other businesses, according to a <a href="https://fil.forbrukerradet.no/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-01-14-out-of-control-final-version.pdf">new report</a> from the Norwegian Consumer Council, which we first saw <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/13/business/grindr-apps-dating-data-tracking.html">in The New York Times</a>.The report analyzed data-sharing practices of dozens of Android apps. Researchers also found that apps owned by Match Group, including OkCupid and Tinder, send users' demographics, location, and answers to personal questions on topics like drug use and dating preferences to marketing firms."Consumers are still pervasively tracked and profiled online and have no way of knowing which entities process their data and how to stop them," the report's authors <a href="https://fil.forbrukerradet.no/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-01-14-out-of-control-final-version.pdf">wrote</a>.Grindr did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Grindr's <a href="https://www.grindr.com/privacy-policy/">website</a> says that users who agree to its privacy policy are "directing us to disclose" personal information to ad partners.In a statement to Business Insider, a Match Group spokesperson said the company values user privacy and will "only share the specific information deemed necessary to operate our platform, in line with the applicable laws." The report calls on regulators in Europe and the US to investigate whether the practices violate privacy laws. Two recent laws in the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-gdpr-regulation-explained-2018-4">European Union</a> and <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/photos/a-new-law-gives-you-the-power-to-tell-websites-not-to-sell-your-personal-data-heres-how-to-exercise-your-rights/ss-BBYykMr">California</a> aim to tighten users' control over how online platforms share their personal data, and could play a role in regulating data-sharing going forward.In nations where homosexuality is illegal, police have used Grindr to <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/egyptian-police-grindr-dating-app-arrest-lgbt-gay-anti-gay-lesbian-homophobia-a7211881.html">track down and prosecute LGBTQ people</a>. According to the Norwegian report, Grindr distributes people's unique user-tracking code to its ad partners, which can be tied directly to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/21/opinion/pasadena-smartphone-spying.html">person's real-life identity</a>.Grindr has previously faced backlash for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/technology/grindr-sets-off-privacy-firestorm-after-sharing-users-hiv-status-data.html">disclosing users' HIV status</a> to third-party companies, but has since stopped that practice.Read the full Norwegian Consumer Council report <a href="https://fil.forbrukerradet.no/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-01-14-out-of-control-final-version.pdf">here</a>. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/secret-hidden-airplane-safety-features-2019-12">8 secret airplane safety features you didn't know existed</a></h3>

Grindr is sending users' personal information and location to dozens of ad companies, essentially disclosing their sexual orientation

<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image">Screenshot</div></div>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:240px"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Screenshot" title_caption="Click to see the full profile" class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/527d51a86bb3f70a40e9b7dd-960/unti.jpg"></a>ScreenshotClick to see the full profile</div></div>Chivalry isn't dead, but it's on life support and I've just completed an experiment that doesn't bode well for its future.
I spent a week on <keyword id="228306" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="OkCupid">OKCupid</keyword> under a female identity to see what it's like to be a woman looking for love online. It was frustrating and tiring, far more trouble than I could imagine it being worth for a woman legitimately invested in it.
Ladies: I'm not going to claim some comprehensive understanding of the social plights of the modern woman, but OKCupid gave me a tiny peek into your part of the online <keyword id="6367193" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dating">dating</keyword> world, and it's exhausting.
I learned that women looking for men on OKCupid do not have to try very hard at all. The numbers are so overwhelmingly in their favor that I could kick back and watch my inbox fill with messages, no effort required after setting up the profile.
I felt like the belle of the ball. And then I read the messages.
Initially I was engaging with people, replying to their messages and asking questions. But halfway through day two, I was having to comb through an inbox bursting with weirdness, deviance, and even cultural and racial insensitivity.
I was so disillusioned with all the garbage messages I received that I actively disliked browsing the site.
By no means was every interaction unpleasant. It's simply that the signal-to-noise ratio of it all dominated the tone of my experience. My messages were so undesirable that by the second or third day of scopin' dudes and alternately receiving offers for casual sex and gushy fanmail based on nothing at all, I was over it.
Let's meet our straw woman
You can't just conjure a woman out of thin air. Only pictures and a personality will to lend some verity to a profile, so a personal friend gave me permission to make her the star of this story. She's operating under the handle "FourStrongWindz" because she likes Neil Young.
As for the body of the profile (which you can read in its entirety by clicking on it above), I filled it out with feminine guidance from my fellow Business Insider colleague Caroline Moss.
Within minutes I started getting messages.
The good
Take this guy, who seemed like a real sweetheart. He was unfortunately an exception to the rule.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image">Screenshot</div></div> 
 The bad
A nutty number of guys sent me one-word messages. Consider this one, a mere three letters long.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image">Screenshot</div></div>
Fully expecting this to be a one-off incident of laziness, my potential suitors shot themselves in the foot over and over by offering nothing more than a greeting and giving me nothing to respond to.
Some use canned lines over and over, and it's unfortunately obvious when that happens. Like these two, arriving 30 minutes apart from each other.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Screenshot</div></div></div> 
And some get straight to the point, asking for a phone number straight away:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Screenshot</div></div></div>
One immediately made the grand leap to an offer of casual sex:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Screenshot</div></div></div>
Keep in mind that this is my first interaction with these guys. This is what they're opening with.
The ugly
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Screenshot</div></div></div>
I didn't really know what to do with this guy. He came on strong and wouldn't buzz off and then told me I seemed Jewish.
So what does this all mean?
<a href="http://www.winggirlmethod.com/blog/">I talked to Marni Kinrys</a>, a dating and relationships expert who helps men overcome difficulties with women (she bills herself as "the ultimate wing girl," though she recently started <a href="http://www.winggirlmethod.com/dating-tips-for-women/">offering advice to help women with men</a>.) She recommends that her clients try this very exercise - impersonating a woman online - for the sake of experiencing what it's like to be on the receiving end of so many romantic, sexual, weird advances firsthand.
"Many men seem to pounce on women online just as they would in real life," she said. "There's no emotional explanation for it other than they want spice and curiosity. At some point it probably turns into a numbers game for them. If you send the same generic message to ten girls and get one response, it's easy to count that a success. So why not do it over and over?"
It becomes romantic carpet bombing.
And then there are the "scripts" she told me about: "Some men really blow it by using scripts or templates. The woman ends up interacting with a dynamic man over the Internet who can't make eye contact in person."
Marni's advice for those having a go at online dating seems to boil down to simply knowing what you want in advance. Casual sex? A long-term relationship? By identifying this down first, you can help narrow the pool of people online would would actually be receptive to meeting you.
What I took away from all this
Win, lose, or draw, a girl on OKCupid will receive messages from men.
Part of me was disappointed in the lack of effort and sincerity that so many of my fellow men exercised in communicating with me, a supposed female Brooklynite who's single and looking. How do you wade through all the verbal vomit that comes at you through your inbox?
But another part of me found this really hope-inspiring. There are enough men on the site that you're bound to find someone who's into you, self-perceived flaws and all.

I Impersonated A Female On OKCupid For A Week And It Was Terrible

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I'm 35 and go to church every Sunday.</li><li>After getting a diagnosis of kidney cancer in 2020, I decided to live my life to the fullest.</li></ul>Editor's note: The author submitted this essay on the condition she remain anonymous so as not to identify the person she's dating. Her identity is known to Insider.I'm 35 and from the Midwest. I go to church on Sundays, and I'm really close to my family. I'm also in a <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-men-use-ashley-madison-online-dating-2019-4">relationship with a married man</a>, and I'm having the best time of my life.Like many other single women, I've been on all the dating apps: Tinder, OkCupid, Hinge — you name it, I've been on it. I just wasn't connecting with anyone, and that gave me dating fatigue.Then, in 2022, I joined <a href="https://www.insider.com/women-use-ashley-madison-christmas-affairs-have-no-regrets-2022-12">Ashley Madison, the dating site for married people</a>. Two years earlier I'd been diagnosed with kidney cancer. I have <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lynch-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20374714" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lynch syndrome</a>, a hereditary condition that can increase your risk of cancer if you're under 50.Instead of getting down on myself about my diagnosis and hating the world, I decided to live life to the fullest. I realized I didn't want to live in fear, so I embraced my love of exhibitionism and posted photos of my body. I felt empowered.But something was still missing from my life: sex.<h2>I joined Ashley Madison looking to have fun</h2>I didn't want a fling, a one-night stand, or a boyfriend — I just wanted to embrace my sexuality and have fun.I started talking with an interesting guy, and we quickly became friends. I knew he was married, but I didn't mind; I wasn't looking for a relationship. He was available to me and made time to connect with me.We hit it off and discovered we have very similar interests. He enjoys the daddy-dom lifestyle, which I love. It allows me to let go and enjoy the moment. He makes time for me and provides me with pleasure. He's even willing to change his routine to make me happy.After meeting so many wrong men, I found the one for me. It's been life-changing — I'm living a life opposite the one I was raised to live. As a child I was taught that in a nuclear family, a man and a woman fall in love, get married, and have children. I was told that having an extramarital affair was wrong and sinful and wasn't something a "proper" woman would do. This type of relationship scared me since it implied that if I cheated, I was a bad, condemned woman.But when my doctor told me I had cancer, I feared the end of everything. I walked away thinking I'd do anything once to experience it — fear, guilt, and shame be damned. I looked at the elements of my life where I wasn't happy. Then I chose to get what I wanted and desired, no matter societal norms.<h2>I enjoy my life</h2>It surprises me that I'm not scared anymore, nor do I feel shame. On the contrary, I enjoy my life now. If you'd told my 25-year-old self that this would bring me fulfillment, she would've probably recoiled and never believed it.I don't openly tell people I'm dating a married man, but I don't hide it either. I pick and choose who knows. My platonic life mate was naturally concerned about my safety and well-being. She also doesn't understand why I'd want to live this lifestyle after she was cheated on, which destroyed her marriage. But despite her wishes, hopes, and prayers for me, she realizes my choices are my own and respects my right to make them. And as my life mate, she loves me regardless of what happens.I have an easier time with my family. My parents passed away before I was 28, so I have only my twin sister and brothers to worry about. My sister will always accept and love me for who I am, and my brothers honestly couldn't care less about my love life.As for my health, I'm in remission and due for another CAT scan next year to make sure I'm still cancer-free. But as long as I have my man and my platonic life mate, I'll be OK.

After getting a cancer diagnosis, I joined Ashley Madison. Being in a relationship with a married man gave my life meaning.

<ul><li> For years, talking about the queer community was a taboo in the Indian advertising industry. Today, while there have been some path-breaking campaigns in acknowledging the community and giving them a voice, a lot more still needs to be done.</li><li>To mark <keyword id="168821" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pride-Month">pride month</keyword>, we look back at some of the iconic advertisements that initiated an early conversation in our country, which were still a taboo back then and created a ripple effect by bringing to light some of the issues that LGBTQIA communities continue to face. </li></ul>The month of June is observed as Pride month all over the world, which is a movement that brings the entire LGBTQIA+ community together to spread the message of equality in all spheres of life, including the right to love. However, where are Indian brands? It has been 17 days since pride month began. Apart from the rainbow-coloured logos on social media, no brand has mustered the courage to normalise the whole spectrum and initiate a concrete conversation. Since many Indian brands have failed to give the community a voice through their campaigns, to make the queer community a part of their daily life conversation and step out of their comfort zones, we decided to look back at some of the iconic advertisements that were created by brands who dared to speak up and break some taboos. These ads created a much-needed ripple effect in our country and started a conversation around issues that the community goes through. They simply reminded the audience that they care about queer community’s existence by acknowledging and representing different kinds of humans -- conveying that India is stepping out of its closest. Here are a few of our favourites: Fastrack’s The Closet Way ahead of its time, Fastrack’s ad was quite special for India. It was the very first brand in India to show a lesbian couple. It encouraged the youth to come out of their closet of comfort and speak up, metaphorically. In this commercial, the doors of a cupboard open, and two young women walk out, adjusting their clothes and hair. “Come out of the closet”, urges the advertisement and ends with Fastrack’s now famous tagline, “Move On.” <div type="Youtube" id="fmk9D53G6F8" title="Fastrack - The Closet" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fmk9D53G6F8/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Anouk’s The Visit Myntra’s ad for its ethinic wear brand Anouk was probably one of the first ads in India that attempted to normalise different sexual preferences, without looking at them through a lens of judgement or for sake of tokenism. Created by Ogilvy India, this ad left you mesmerised by the beautiful portrayal of pure love that can happen between any two people. <div type="Youtube" id="Ef27m5ocK6Q" title="ANOUK, BOLD IS BEAUTIFUL - A Wonderful Video Titled &quot;THE VISIT&quot;" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ef27m5ocK6Q/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Vicks’ Touch of Care Normalising trans motherhood in India, Vicks initiated a conversation everyone else was afraid to have. It highlighted how motherhood goes beyond biological ties with transgender activist Gauri Sawant, who also runs an NGO called Sakhi Char Chowghi. It showcased her real life story of bringing up a girl. Conceptualised by Publicis Singapore for Procter &amp; Gamble, the video shows how Gayatri, at the age of 6, loses her biological mother, a sex worker, to HIV AIDS. It ends with Gayatri vowing to become a lawyer so that she can fight for equal human rights and build an equal environment for her foster mother. <div type="Youtube" id="7zeeVEKaDLM" title="Vicks - Generations of Care #TouchOfCare" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7zeeVEKaDLM/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Brooke Bond Label’s 6 Pack Band The 6 Pack Band was a story of six transgender singers from Hijra community, which is commonly ignored by most and misunderstood by all. However, this song concentrated on what they rejoice about being queer and trangenders instead. It was an initiative created and driven by Y-Films, the youth wing of Yash Raj Films, to help further the cause of gender equality in India. This campaign also brought home the coveted Grand Prix in the Glass Lion category at Cannes. <div type="Youtube" id="blvOBnSRfVc" title="Hum Hain Happy - 6 Pack Band" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/blvOBnSRfVc/mqdefault.jpg"></div> The Times of India's Out and Proud On September 6, 2018 the Supreme Court of India decriminalised section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. With this judgment, the gay community got a legal nod to sexual rights. While the laws have changed for the better, we still witness negative attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ people. The Times of India in collaboration with FCB India was one of the large-scale campaigns that was launched to celebrate this historic milestone. Its campaign aimed to empower the members of the queer community to live a dignified life with acceptance and pride. It lent a medium to a community whose voice was buried for generations. It brought to light the discrimiation they face every day and reminded them how they always ‘had a place in our hearts.’ <div type="Youtube" id="-p8DFP1Tn1s" title="Times Out &amp; Proud" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-p8DFP1Tn1s/mqdefault.jpg"></div> OkCupid’s #LoveAtFirstPride Another brand that celebrated striking down of article 377 in 2018, OkCupid, digital campaign #LoveAtFirstPride acknowledged love beyond binary identities. The idea behind the campaign was to cherish the freedom for all gender identities and this has been captured in the video with the LGBTQ community answering questions like ‘How much would you reveal about yourself on a first date? ,‘What are your views on moving on with your partner?’ and ‘What are your thoughts on PDA?’. The campaign was launched in the middle of the pride month and in less than a week, it received an overwhelming support of over a million individuals spread across platforms. The campaign is aimed at spreading the message of equal representation of different sexual orientations. <div type="Youtube" id="IwDW6x0bezs" title="OkCupid’s #LoveAtFirstPride is a Shout Out to Every First Stride Taken With Pride" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IwDW6x0bezs/mqdefault.jpg"></div> While all these ads revolutionised the industry in their own ways, legacy brands still shy away from including LGBTQIA+ community in their functional ads or an everyday sales ad. ‘Sexuality’ is still used as a plot twist in ads when we should be moving beyond tokenism and to normalise it further, we need to start including them next to a cis gender couple.

Pride Month: Campaigns that started conversations and sparked change in India

<ul><li>In the last feature of our <keyword id="168821" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pride-Month">Pride Month</keyword> series, we look back at the past of advertising, speak to the LGBTQIA+ community from the industry on which ads they resonated with, its evolution thus far and how can the industry further drive change in society at large. </li><li>They said a lot needs to be done and change can only come when the insiders of the ad industry step into the shoes of these people, empathise and help normalise. </li></ul>While every day should be Pride Day, June brings along an opportunity for us to sit and reflect on how far we have come, try to recognise and unlearn the biases, acknowledge the struggles that LGBTQIA+ people went through and to start normalising the conversation. After the Supreme Court scrapped Section 377 in India in 2018, a lot of brands came forward to celebrate the landmark judgement. However, the momentum went down in 2019 and this year, when brands have more time than ever to really reflect on their values and speak about issues that matter, this June, the discussion around equality went further below. Apart from the <keyword id="9479124" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="rainbow-washing">rainbow washing</keyword> on social media and a few campaigns by OkCupid, Tinder and Instagram, this pride month was rather disappointing. While globally, the LGBTQIA+ representation-momentum is only growing, India is still way behind. This silence is speaking a thousand words, indicating that traditional Indian brands are still closeted. So we decided to reach out to the LGBTQIA+ community from the ad industry and look back at the campaigns that started a conversation that everyone else was afraid to have, trace the industry’s progress, discuss how they wish to be represented in the future and how advertising can drive change. Ads that sparked change OTT platforms have allowed directors and writers to create content with no filters and break out of the conventions of love stories and gender roles. There is more representation now than ever before. However, it is only during the pride month that there is a sudden bombardment of rainbows and brands remember that LGBTQIA+ are also their consumers with purchasing power. Shekhar Mhaskar, Chief Growth Officer, Isobar India says Indian advertising industry still has a long way to go. When asked what are some of the Indian ads that he liked or resonated with, Mhaskar said, ‘None. At least not from India in 2020.’ He explained, “Indian advertising is yet to come a long way. Got to be bolder than ever. While advertisers in India want to be in the race to show that they accept the LGBTQIA+ community in a lot of ways, the advertisements or the creative are still 'indicative' by using mnemonics of such relationships, viz. using rainbow colours; using the gender symbols, so on and so forth. It needs to be bolder, in your face (without bordering any sexual innuendos, though). To give an example, look for the ad ‘Imagine a World’ by SodaStream, or a few others that are part of the 2020 Super Bowl series where real-life gay talent has been cast - Jonathan Van Ness, the nonbinary star of Netflix’s Queer Eye, speaks about the virtues of Pop-Tarts and Drag Race stars Kim Chi and Miz Cracker filmed a commercial for hummus. As also the Amazon Alexa ad where Ellen and her partner Portia are at centre stage.” Amit Kekre, National Strategy Head, DDB Mudra Group shared a few ads that he liked from the many that have been launched over the years. “Vicks' Touch of Care campaign busted the stereotype of gender. It changed the definition of motherhood by saying that motherhood is an emotion independent of gender. In my mind, it was one of the sincere efforts and insight into the transgender community and questioned the very restrictive, hetereonormative framework of gender that we as a society are used to looking at. It was profound story-telling on the part of LGBTQIA+ community. DDB Mudra also worked on a campaign for Levi’s that tried to convey that they are more than just their sexuality, which I loved. Often enough the conversation around queer community centers around sex or sexuality but we are more than that so Levi’s tried to convey that our lives are more than just our sexuality,” said Kekre. How can ad industry become the torch-bearer of change? As an industry, advertising is known to lead to change. It can use its influential power in mending belief systems and uprooting regressive thoughts. It can bring about normalisation and make people embrace the entire spectrum. However, are we really using it tactfully? Kekre says change takes time. He said, “Change is a gradual process, especially in a society like ours where deep-rooted stigmas are the background that we operate in, change is even slower to come by. And not just advertising, brands and businesses at large lead change. Change comes in two parts: culture outside and internally, brands need to embrace change within their own ecosystem. So while advertising is consumer-facing does the part of story-telling and changing attitude at a large cultural level, within the organisation -- I feel there is a lot that needs to be done. From a passive acceptance, we need to move to active invitation that makes an announcement to the community that we are open for you to come in. It means not just policy and structural changes, it means tying up with organisations that help you identify talent from this community.” DDB Mudra has introduced an internship program specifically designed for the transgender community that helps them ease into the organsation because they are the most marganlised community and need more attention in terms of sheer livelihood. Jay, Creative Producer, Kinnect also suggested looking on the inside, recognising biases and talking about the stories out of the box that we have been stuck in. She said, “Advertising is a powerful industry that can drive change by reaching out to the masses at once. We have the potential but we have some way to go. As people who are in positions of making decisions about what consumers see, I do think we need to relook at our personal biases and understand that our society is very tightly pound by these gender roles, expectations of what a man and a woman are supposed to be, what relationships should look like -- once we open up our minds to a perspective free of these rules, we will be able to see that there are so many beautiful stories that deserve to be told. I wish these queer identities are represented outside of the pride month also. Everyone is a consumer and they should be spoken to all the time. Once brands approach inclusiveness as a given, rather than a singular campaign brief, I think that will be real change.” Mhaskar suggested stepping into the shoes of the queer community and understanding their woes and challenges. There is a need for empathy, not sympathy. He said, “There’s a lot to be done, a massive lot. India as a country is conservative and hypocritical. Agencies and corporations should openly and honestly promote inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ folks in the workforce and give them the same rights and privileges as everyone else. The policies are not meant to be in the books for keepsake. Those need to be brought out and applied without someone having to ask for it. Hope you get the drift.” Brands have a responsibility to the community and they should aim to not only promote themselves, but address larger social issues throughout the year.

Pride Month: How ad industry can drive change in the society

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Girlboss Media</div></div></div><ul><li>In an ad published in the New York Times on Tuesday, Bumble accused Tinder's parent company, Match Group, of using "scare tactics" to "intimidate" Bumble.</li><li>Last week, Match Group filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Bumble, alleging that Bumble and Tinder were virtually identical.</li><li>According to recent reports, Match Group is still interested in buying Bumble.</li></ul> Bumble just announced its decision to "swipe left" on Tinder's parent company, Match Group.In an ad published in the New York Times on Tuesday, Bumble responded to the patent infringement lawsuit which Match Group filed against Bumble last week. "Dear Match Group," the statement reads, "We swipe left on you. We swipe left on your multiple attempts to buy us, copy us, and intimidate us."The statement alludes to the complicated history between Tinder, Match Group, and Bumble. In August, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/14/match-group-is-still-in-talks-to-acquire-bumble-with-a-valuation-over-1b/">TechCrunch reported that Bumble had turned down an offer from Match Group </a>to buy the company for $450 million. Despite the refusal, Match Group's interest in Bumble reportedly hasn't waned: A source familiar with the matter<a href="https://www.recode.net/2018/3/16/17131728/tinder-bumble-lawsuit-acquisition-patent-infringement-whitney-wolfe"> told Recode last week</a> that Match is still hoping to acquire Bumble, which might explain the motivation behind Match Group's patent infringement suit against the company. If Bumble concedes to Match Group's reported offer to buy the company, then Bumble can continue to use the contested patents as a Match subsidiary without undergoing legal inquiry. Match Group's <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/374075381/Match-Group-v-Bumble?irgwc=1&amp;content=10079&amp;campaign=Skimbit%2C%20Ltd.&amp;ad_group=66960X1555657Xebaa1c8128f3962ae0701a1c075169af&amp;keyword=ft750noi&amp;source=impactradius&amp;medium=affiliate#from_embed">45-page lawsuit </a>alleges that Bumble has copied numerous features integral to the design of Tinder, such as the app's double-blind opt in, the swipe right to like and left to dislike functionality, and several feature displays like the app's match queue.This isn't the first time that Bumble and Tinder have engaged in legal turmoil. In 2014, Tinder cofounder and Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tinder-co-founder-whitney-wolfe-and-bumble-2015-1">sued Tinder</a>, alleging that two of her fellow cofounders had sexually harassed her during their time working together at the company. The suit was later settled, and Wolfe was awarded $1 million, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2017/11/14/billion-dollar-bumble-how-whitney-wolfe-herd-built-americas-fastest-growing-dating-app/&amp;refURL=https://www.recode.net/2018/3/16/17131728/tinder-bumble-lawsuit-acquisition-patent-infringement-whitney-wolfe&amp;referrer=https://www.recode.net/2018/3/16/17131728/tinder-bumble-lawsuit-acquisition-patent-infringement-whitney-wolfe#64bbbb61248b">according to Forbes</a>. Wolfe went on to found Bumble, a dating app that requires women make the first move to engage with their dating matches. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Bumble</div></div></div>In the ad, Bumble describes the lawsuit as "baseless" and alleges the suit was created with the assumption that it would intimidate the company. "We - a woman-founded, women-led company - aren't scared of aggressive corporate culture," it reads. "That's what we call bullying, and we swipe left on bullies."Bumble's refusal of Match Group's reported offer is a bold move. The company is coming up against one of the largest conglomerate dating corporations, which in addition to Tinder, owns several popular dating sites like OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, and Match.com.In an interview with Business insider, Wolfe said there was room for competition within the dating app marketplace. "There's room for two massive IPOs on the market, not just one," she said. Wolfe said Bumble has had interest from other buyers aside from Match as well. "We've been entertaining conversations with several private and third parties," she said, although she declined to name the companies that were potentially interested in buying Bumble. Tinder did not immediately respond to comment on the matter.Here's Bumble's letter in full:Dear Match Group,We swipe left on you. We swipe left on your multiple attempts to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/14/match-group-is-still-in-talks-to-acquire-bumble-with-a-valuation-over-1b/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/14/match-group-is-still-in-talks-to-acquire-bumble-with-a-valuation-over-1b/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1521601661457000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFJS_fI6zT99ZwCD0PcK2PRycTBng">buy us,</a> <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/14/tinder-to-adopt-bumbles-ladies-first-feature-in-a-future-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/14/tinder-to-adopt-bumbles-ladies-first-feature-in-a-future-update/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1521601661457000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH0kn5gZfU2dpVb5LlEztPmMTXkBQ">copy us,</a> and, now, to <a href="https://mashable.com/2018/03/17/tinder-match-group-sues-bumble-patent-infringement/#5zDoYJZu0sqV" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://mashable.com/2018/03/17/tinder-match-group-sues-bumble-patent-infringement/%235zDoYJZu0sqV&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1521601661457000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH_Y13X27uGQs4nc5wSpzv33DLJ7A">intimidate us.</a>We'll never be yours. No matter the price tag, we'll never compromise our values. We swipe left on your attempted scare tactics, and on these endless games. We swipe left on your assumption that a baseless lawsuit would intimidate us. Given your enduring interest in our company, we expected you to know us a bit better by now.We - a woman-founded, women-led company - aren't scared of aggressive corporate culture. That's what we call bullying, and we swipe left on bullies. Ask the thousands of users we've blocked from our platform for bad behavior.In fact, that behavior? It only fuels us. It motivates us to push our mission further - to work harder each day to build a platform, community, and brand that promotes kindness, respect, and equality. That's the thing about us. We're more than a feature where women make the first move. Empowerment is in our DNA. You can't copy that.So when you announced recently, in another attempt to intimidate us, that you were going to try to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/14/tinder-to-adopt-bumbles-ladies-first-feature-in-a-future-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/14/tinder-to-adopt-bumbles-ladies-first-feature-in-a-future-update/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1521601661457000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH0kn5gZfU2dpVb5LlEztPmMTXkBQ">replicate</a> our core, women-first offering and plug it in to Tinder, we applauded you for the attempt to make that subsidiary safer.We strive every day to protect our nearly 30 million users, and to engineer a more accountable environment. Instead of swinging back and forth between trying to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/14/match-group-is-still-in-talks-to-acquire-bumble-with-a-valuation-over-1b/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/14/match-group-is-still-in-talks-to-acquire-bumble-with-a-valuation-over-1b/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1521601661457000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFJS_fI6zT99ZwCD0PcK2PRycTBng">buy us,</a> <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/14/tinder-to-adopt-bumbles-ladies-first-feature-in-a-future-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/14/tinder-to-adopt-bumbles-ladies-first-feature-in-a-future-update/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1521601661457000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH0kn5gZfU2dpVb5LlEztPmMTXkBQ">copy us,</a> and <a href="https://mashable.com/2018/03/17/tinder-match-group-sues-bumble-patent-infringement/#ih5uydf7QsqV" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://mashable.com/2018/03/17/tinder-match-group-sues-bumble-patent-infringement/%23ih5uydf7QsqV&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1521601661457000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF4sruSwnbLRif6M5HMdAf-ggEE3g">sue us,</a> why don't you spend that time taking care of bad behavior on your platforms?We remain focused on improving our users' experience, and taking our mission worldwide, until every woman knows she has the power to make the first move, to go after what she wants, and to say "no" without fear. We as a company will always swipe right for empowered moves, and left on attempts to disempower us. We encourage every user to do the same. As one of our mottos goes, "bee kind or leave." We wish you the best, but consider yourselves blocked.Bumble <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-s9-review-best-worst-features-2018-3">The best and worst features of the Samsung Galaxy S9</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

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