- Match Group has agreed to pay $14 million to the FTC. The payment will settle charges of deceptive advertising practices. Match will change some business practices as part of the settlement. The company recently laid off 13% of its staff.
Match Group, the parent company of Match.com, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid, and PlentyOfFish, has agreed to pay $14 million to settle a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about deceptive advertising practices.
The FTC sued the dating-site company in 2019, accusing it of using misleading ads to drive subscriptions, which were then difficult for people to cancel. Customers who tried to dispute billing charges also complained about being locked out of their accounts.
Match, the FTC alleged, had told customers they could get a free six-month subscription if they didn’t “meet someone special,” but failed to disclose the customers would need to meet numerous requirements before that guarantee would be honored. As part of the agreement, Match has agreed to clearly disclose those terms moving forward.
In addition, the company will make it easier to cancel subscriptions and refrain from retaliating against customers who file disputes.
“Match Group admits no liability as part of this resolution and was fully prepared to take the case to trial, but opted to resolve the case to put the matter behind it,” the company said in a statement. “The FTC’s outdated claims are entirely moot, as the alleged practices at issue ended years ago or are based on mischaracterizations that do not reflect our business today.”
The settlement is just the latest in a string of bad news for Match. In May, it announced plans to lay off 13% of its workforce, cutting approximately 325 jobs. In addition, an investigation earlier this year claimed that it had failed to act on reports of sexual assault.
Match Group has seen its stock price tumble nearly 70% over the past five years (though it is 13% higher year to date in 2025). Bank of America analysts said in a Feb. 5 note that Spencer Rascoff’s appointment as CEO could be a positive for the company, but noted “the online dating industry faces continued headwinds to user growth.”
Rascoff, in March, posted an open letter on LinkedIn, where he said the company’s dating apps were falling short and don’t feel like places “to build real connections.” He has called on Match employees to offer feedback on how to best improve the services.
