- New Jersey AG Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced a $650,000 settlement with Match Group, Inc. (MGI) over allegations that the company misrepresented its criminal background screening practices on its online dating platforms, violating New Jersey’s consumer protection and internet dating safety laws. MGI operates several major dating services including Match, Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, Our Time, BLK, Chispa, Upward, and Black People Meet.
- As part of the settlement, MGI has agreed to comply with the CFA by accurately representing to New Jersey members its criminal background screening policies and practices of MGI affiliates. Additionally, within 150 days of the filing of the order, MGI affiliates that perform criminal background screenings as defined by IDSA must send an email or pop-up notification to all existing New Jersey members informing them of updates to the dating sites’ criminal background screening disclosure.
- Additionally, MGI affiliates must clearly and conspicuously in bold letters and in at least 12-point type disclose the means and methods used to conduct criminal background screenings, whether criminal background screening information is updated (and if so, how often), whether the dating site allows members who have been identified as having a conviction for any crime to have access to its service to communicate with New Jersey members, and what crimes, if any, disqualify a member from having access to its service to communicate with New Jersey users. The settlement also requires MGI affiliates to provide safety warnings explaining the limitations of criminal background checks.