These days – when marriage doesn’t determine your worth and finding the right relationship is valued over a sad desperation not to be single – it’s very normal to still be dating after you turn 30.
But for some countries, using the premium version of Tinder when you’re over the age of 30 will cost you more.
Consumer International and the Mozilla Foundation delved into Tinder Plus pricing (a paid subscription to the dating app that allows you more benefits) by setting up secret shoppers around the world.
The results? Tinder can have as many as 31 different prices for the same service in one country alone, with no transparency on how that price is determined.
“Some people are charged up to five times more for the exact same service: In the Netherlands, prices ranged from $US4.45 to $US25.95 ($A6.23 to $A36.3). In the US, they ranged from $4.99 to $26.99 ($A6 to $37),” stated the report, using USD pricing, which is about $6 to $37 in Aussie dollars.
What’s more, the results determined that Tinder’s personalised pricing algorithm changes older users more.
Tinder strongly refuted parts of the Consumer International report.
The company has used age-based pricing however recently announced plans to move away from charging members over the age of 28 more money.
"Consumers International’s report is deeply flawed and contains completely false and outrageous allegations. Tinder has never factored in sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other demographic characteristic to our pricing. Any reporting or inference that we do this is patently false and outrageous,” a Tinder spokesperson said.
“As discussed on the Match Group Q4 2021 earnings, we have decided to move away from our aged-based pricing policy that provided a lower price subscription for our younger members aged 18-28.
“We've already discontinued aged-based pricing in the US, UK, Brazil and Australia, and we will complete this process by the end of Q2 2022 for remaining markets around the world."
In the six countries investigated (which included in New Zealand, the US, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, India, and Brazil, but not Australia), 30 to 49 year olds were charged a whopping 65.3 per cent more than Tinder Plus users aged 18 to 29.
Once again, for the exact same service.
“This is occurring even after Tinder faced a $US24 million ($A33 million) lawsuit for unfair pricing based on age in California,” explained the report.
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“Personalised pricing isn’t inherently harmful if done fairly, responsibly, and transparently,” said Says Ashley Boyd, VP of Advocacy at Mozilla in a statement. “But our research reveals Tinder’s algorithm is unfair, irresponsible, and opaque”.
As a result of their findings, Consumer International and the Mozilla Foundation are calling for larger protections of people’s personal information that is used to determine personalised pricing like this, as well as greater transparency as to how that pricing is calculated.
“Opaque AI systems like Tinder’s are common across the marketplace, and only growing more so,” continued Boyd. “We need a broad approach to reforming these systems, from stronger consumer protections to greater transparency for civil society and government.”
