Why the C.E.O. Behind Match.com and Tinder Took a Stand on the Texas Abortion Law
The C.E.O. Behind Match.com and Tinder Took a Stand on the Texas Abortion Law
From the “Match made in heaven” to the “Match made in hell,” the Internet has always been a place where people are free to meet each other and make their first impressions. But when it comes to online dating, people in the online dating industry take things to another level.
In Texas, people have more access to abortion care than they’ve ever had, and it is now legal in all but a handful of counties in the Lone Star State. Last week, Match.com and Tinder announced that they are taking legal action to protect their customers when they’re told that they cannot legally use the company’s websites to find a date. The move was in response to the new Texas law that would place a strict 20-week limit on abortions in the state, which has banned all abortions after 20 weeks post-fertilization and required that all abortions be performed in a procedure room.
“A company called Tinder is now taking a stand on the Texas abortion law,” said Texas governor Rick Perry. “I ask everyone to help us stand together as Americans to block this law.”
In response, Match.com, whose revenue comes from paid membership, said that it would continue to provide the services to match members with others who are interested in hooking up.
“The online dating company has decided to take a stand against the law by implementing new safety features,” Match spokesman Matt Lehman said.
Now, those services will not only be available in Texas, allowing the company to continue to serve members, but in additional states that would like to expand their online dating services, including New York, Michigan and Ohio.
“We’re going to continue to serve them because we don’t want to lose a revenue stream because of a 20-week ban,” Lehman added.
This is a huge victory for people like me who value life, because I use online dating and matchmaking for exactly this reason. We’re on our phones 24/7 and can’t control what ads are running on the pages we view. We can’t