Tinder to Russia: We're Done

In addition to not being able to get their Pepsi, McDonald's, Netflix, and Starbucks, Russians now won't be able to swipe right or left on Tinder. As Quartz reports, the Match Group—which runs dating sites like Match.com, Tinder, Hinge, and PlentyofFish—has decided to call it quits in Russia, citing its commitment "to protecting human rights." While Match didn't specifically mention Russia's war on Ukraine, Quartz calls that "the obvious contender." The company says all its brands will cut off service there by June 30, but critics are pouncing because the Ukraine war has now stretched on for more than a year. "Tinder is fast for dating action but slow on moral action. It should just switch it off tomorrow," says the founder of the Moral Rating Agency, which is lobbying Western firms to stop operating in Russia.

Rival Bumble pulled out of Russia the month after the February 2022 invasion and saw its shares skyrocket by 40% for its stance. Some speculate that Russian President Vladimir Putin's ICC indictment on war crimes charges was the final straw, and there's this from a major Match Group shareholder, per Reuters: "It’s not a good look for a trusted brand to be continuing operations in a nation where the head of state has been indicted by the International Criminal Court." Where will lonely Russians now turn to find love? Likely Moscow-based Mamba, which estimates that it'll see new sign-ups jump 15,000-20,000 per day in the wake of Tinder's exit. (More Tinder stories.)