Match to pay $14M to the FTC due to false advertising and other deceptive practices

Match Group, the parent company of popular dating apps like Tinder, OkCupid, and Match.com, has agreed to pay $14 million to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to settle allegations of false advertising and other deceptive practices. The FTC accused Match Group of luring users into purchasing subscriptions by exposing them to fraudulent accounts and then making it difficult to cancel those subscriptions. The company is also alleged to have sent misleading email messages to non-paying users, claiming they had received messages from interested parties, in an effort to encourage them to upgrade to a paid subscription. Under the settlement, Match Group is required to overhaul its cancellation process and improve its fraud detection and prevention efforts. The company has also agreed to obtain independent audits of its practices for the next eight years. The FTC's action serves as a warning to other online platforms that engaging in deceptive practices will not be tolerated. Consumers have a right to expect honesty and transparency from the companies they do business with.