Tinder can no longer discriminate against users aged over 30
An appellate court in California has ruled against Tinder for charging a higher fee from users aged over 30. This came after resident Allen Candelore noticed that Tinder's premium service Tinder Plus' age-based pricing is violating the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the Unfair Competition Law. The app levies a monthly fee of $9.99 from users under 30 and $19.99 from users over 30.
Younger people are more budget constrained: Tinder
Tinder defended its service model by claiming that younger people are "more budget constrained." However, the court ruled that the app discriminates users on the basis of age and makes an "arbitrary, class-based generalization" about incomes. The decision also reverses the order of a lower Los Angeles trial court that had ruled in Tinder's favour since the app's claims were based on market research.
We swipe left: Court ruling against Tinder
"No matter what Tinder's market research may have shown ... some older consumers will be more budget constrained and less willing to pay. Because nothing ... justifies the alleged discriminatory pricing, the trial court erred in sustaining the demurrer. Accordingly, we swipe left, and reverse."
Tinder Plus users can access premium features on the app
Introduced in 2015, Tinder Plus allows subscribers to have premium access to the dating app. Subscribers can undo their most recent swipe, get access to an unlimited number of swipes, and 'super like' a higher number of potential matches everyday. Earlier, CEO Greg Blatt had said, "Tinder Plus users tend to be the most engaged customers, so they are on the product the longest."
