Many online dating apps are now acting like ‘regulated gambling products’ – with users paying hundreds of euros a year to swipe.

Dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge or Plenty of Fish now offer users the option to purchase premium features that allow them to boost their profile or filter out people from certain groups they would rather not date. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, University of Leeds ethics lecturer Luke Brunning said the phenomenon is all about making it easier to sell yourself. 

“Maybe an analogy might be with forms of online sales like Vinted or eBay where you might be able to pay to, kind of, boost a product you’re trying to sell,” he said. 

“So, you’re trying to boost yourself.” 

As buying premium services on dating apps does not guarantee the user more dates, Dr Brunning said it is legitimate to compare the system to online gambling.

“[People] are concerned that the structure of this paid subscription offering does look similar to other kinds of regulated gambling products,” he said. 

“Where, essentially, what you’re doing is offering a consumer an increased chance of a positive outcome that they value for a fee. 

“I guess, the worry is that - like lots of forms of online gambling - the consumer, they don’t really have a lot of transparency about the likely increase of outcome or positive outcome. 

“They’re not sure how the process works, they’re just going on what they’re told.” 

An illustrated image highlighting online gambling at the workplace. Image: Maddie Red Photography / Alamy

Dr Brunning said there is a lack of “transparency around the issue” and apps should provide users with more information about how premium services will change their dating experience. 

“The consumers have not got a clear grasp on what an improvement might look like in this situation,” he said. 

“There’s a range of other kinds of worries that we might associate with this offering. 

Entitlement

Another worry for Dr Brunning is that premium dating services might amplify the bad behaviour that is already common on dating apps.

He said he was particulalry concerned about “users that may already have a sense of existing entitlement to other people’s attention”.

“It’s usually men that feel entitled to the attention of women might think, ‘Well, I’m paying for this now, I’m paying for a better product, why am I not getting dates or why are people not talking to me?’" he said. 

“There’s a concern about the social impact of these offerings if they’re not explored and thought about more.” 

There are currently an estimated 200,000 Tinder users in Ireland, of whom roughly a quarter use the app every day.

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Main image: Popular dating apps. Picture by: Alamy.com