00:00Hinge markets itself as the dating app that's designed to be deleted.
00:03But some users told the federal government it's built to keep them paying.
00:08Here's what's happening.
00:08Hinge, Tinder, and OkCupid all belong to one company, Match Group.
00:13More than one in three U.S. adults have used a dating site or app,
00:16according to the research firm SSRS.
00:18We filed a public records request for complaints people sent the Federal Trade Commission about Match Group.
00:24One Hinge user wrote that the company uses algorithmic suppression
00:27designed to coerce users into paying for visibility.
00:30Another said it holds matches back to create artificial scarcity,
00:34and subscriptions can run up to $600 a year.
00:38A Match Group spokesperson told us the Hinge algorithm
00:41is intentionally designed to help daters get out on great dates.
00:45SSRS also found about half of people who have used these apps
00:48have been in a committed relationship with someone they met on one.
00:51But the algorithms are trade secrets,
00:53so nobody outside of the company can check how they decide what you see.
00:57And an FTC attorney told us the complaints haven't necessarily been verified.
01:01The full story has a Hinge user who spent thousands on subscriptions
01:04and the strategy she uses to try to beat the algorithm.
01:07You can check that out right now on our website.
01:08But what do you think about these apps?
01:10Have you ever paid for more visibility?
01:12Drop your take in the comments and follow us here for more.
