Hundreds of thousands of Tinder users are eligible for part of a $60 million payout after the online dating giant settled a lawsuit in court.
Online dating has completely transformed how people meet and form relationships over the past two decades. Dating apps have become a popular way of finding romantic partners, with millions of people swiping, matching and messaging their way through potential dates.
We've even seen the rise of AI relationships, where some users form emotional connections with chatbots and virtual partners. But despite tech advances, dating platforms like Tinder and Hinge continue to dominate the market.
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And now arguable the biggest dating app out there has come under legal fire that affects over 200 thousand users.
Tinder has agreed to pay $60.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the popular dating app of age discrimination.
According to the case, Tinder violated state law by implementing different subscription prices based on users' ages. Specifically, older users were paying more for the same premium features than the younger ones. Tinder user Allan Candelore initiated the lawsuit back in 2015.
Now, more than 260,000 users are expected to be eligible for payouts.
The settlement applies to California residents aged 29 or older who purchased Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold subscriptions on or after 2 March 2015, or those who were 28 or older when they bought subscriptions on or after 2 March 2016.
“Tinder has brazenly announced and employed a multi-tiered pricing plan that treats consumers unequally based solely on their age,” the original lawsuit stated (via the New York Post).
Although Tinder has agreed to the $60 million payout, the company has denied any wrongdoing.
How to apply for your share of Tinder’s $60M payout
You may be eligible for the settlement if you:
- Purchased Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold while living in California
- Purchased either subscription on or after 2 March 2015 and you were over age 29 at the time, or you purchased on or after 2 March 2016 and you were over age 28 at the time
Affected users have until 8 April to opt out or object to the settlement terms and until 18 August to decide how they’d like to receive their payout.
“Each class member will also receive a share based on how much the class member paid for Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold,” the settlement notice added.
A court hearing for final approval of the settlement is scheduled for 20 May in Los Angeles County Superior Court.