Tag: dating app

  • Tokyo govt to launch dating app to boost birth rate

    Tokyo govt to launch dating app to boost birth rate

    Japan’s capital will launch its own dating app as early as this summer as part of government efforts to boost the plunging national birth rate, a Tokyo official said Tuesday.

    Users will be required to submit documentation proving they are legally single and sign a letter stating they are willing to get married.

    Stating one’s income is common on Japanese dating apps, but Tokyo will require a tax certificate slip to prove the annual salary.

    “We learned that 70 percent of people who want to get married aren’t actively joining events or apps to look for a partner,” a Tokyo government official in charge of the new app told AFP.

    “We want to give them a gentle push to find one,” he said.

    It’s not unusual for municipalities to organise matchmaking events in Japan, where births dropped to a new low in 2023, but it is rare for a local government to develop an app.

    An interview will be required to confirm a user’s identity as part of the registration process for the Tokyo app, which has been on a test run for free since late last year.

    Many social media users expressed scepticism over the plans, with one saying, “is this something the government should be doing with our tax?”

    Others wrote they were interested as they would feel safer.

    Last year Japan recorded more than twice as many deaths as new babies.

    Births fell for the eighth consecutive year to 758,631, a drop of 5.1 percent, preliminary government data showed. The number of deaths stood at 1,590,503.

    The nation is facing growing labour shortages, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has promised policies including financial aid for families, easier childcare access and more parental leave.

  • Tinder now has ‘arranged dating’ feature

    Tinder now has ‘arranged dating’ feature

    Every singleton dreads this question from their parents: “Are you currently dating anyone?” However, thanks to Tinder’s new feature, those days of avoiding this inquiry might be a thing of the past.  

    Tinder has introduced a feature called “Tinder Matchmaker,” which enables users’ friends and family to view and recommend potential matches for them. This feature might have spared Robert De Niro’s character a great deal of turmoil in the film “Meet the Parents,” where he clashed with his potential son-in-law, played by Ben Stiller.

    Tinder Matchmaker is currently available in the UK, US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam. It will gradually expand to other countries.  

    This feature builds on the common practice of users seeking their friends’ opinions by handing them their phones. According to Melissa Hobley, the chief marketing officer, “For years, singles have asked their friends to help find their next match on Tinder, and now we’re making that so easy with Tinder Matchmaker. It brings your circle of trust into your dating journey, helping you see potential matches you might be overlooking from the perspective of those closest to you.”  

    Tinder, which initially launched in September 2012, has significantly transformed the online dating landscape. In September, it introduced a $500 invite-only membership tier called Tinder Select, catering to “elite” users, offered to less than 1 per cent of users.   

    Additionally, in August, the company announced testing an artificial intelligence tool designed to select a user’s best-looking photos for their profiles, with the hope of increasing the likelihood of getting swiped right. This tool will analyse a user’s photo album and choose the five images that best represent them. 

  • Jammat-e-Islami wants to ban Muslim dating app, CEO says ‘its not for casual flings’

    Jammat-e-Islami wants to ban Muslim dating app, CEO says ‘its not for casual flings’

    Jammat-e-Islami Sindh wants authorities to ban ‘Muzz Match’, a Muslim dating app. Pakistan has 400,000 active users of this app.

    “Jammat-e-Islami Sindh in a statement on Wednesday demanded the authorities to ban Muzz match, leading Muslim dating and marriage app, and remove its billboards from Karachi and other major urban center,” Journalist Zia Ur Rehman wrote in a tweet.

    The Current reached out to CEO and Founder of Muzz match, Shahzad Younas regarding the request of ban. “I’m a practising Pakistani Muslim in the UK and built Muzz almost 10 years ago because of how difficult it is to find a suitable partner,” he said.

    “It’s important that young Pakistanis have an app made for them that gives them a safe way to find a Muslim spouse who respects Islamic traditions, otherwise, they might turn to Western alternatives which unfortunately promote casual dating and non Islamic relationships,” he added.

    “We’re nothing like Tinder or other Western apps designed for casual flings.”

    “Our app discourages casual relationships, hookups and anything that doesn’t bring our members closer to their deen.”

    “We are proud to ban and block any member that is reported for not being serious or having ill intentions and have a 20-strong all female community team whose entire role is to keep our app safe and respectful,” he added.

    He continued by adding, “Our app also automatically censors and removes foul or obscene language being used” adding, “Unlike western apps, we have a wali/chaperone feature which lets members keep their parents or guardians informed about their conversations with matches.”

    While talking about the features of his app said, “Privacy and modesty are central to our app – male and female members can opt to have their photos completely private, and only share with specific interested parties.”

    “We have over 400,000 members in Pakistan and already have over 4,000 successful marriages reported to us.”

  • Iran launches state-approved ‘halal’ dating app to encourage marriage

    Iran on Monday introduced a Muslim dating application to boost marriages in the country and help young people find a partner for themselves.

    As per details, the app, Hamdam which means  “companion” in the Persian language allows users to “search for and choose their spouse.”

    It is the only state-sanctioned platform of its kind in the Islamic republic, according to Iran’s cyberspace police chief, Colonel Ali Mohammad Rajabi.

    While dating apps are popular in Iran, Rajabi said that all other platforms except Hamdam are illegal.

    Developed by the government’s Tebyan Cultural Institute, Hamdam´s website claims it uses “artificial intelligence” to find matches “only for bachelors looking for permanent marriage and a single spouse.”

    Tebyan head, Komeil Khojasteh said family values were endangered by outside forces.

    “Family is the devil’s target, and (Iran’s enemies) seek to impose their own ideas” on it, he said, adding that the app helps create “healthy” families.

    According to Hamdam’s website, users have to verify their identity and go through a “psychology test” before browsing.

    When a match is found for the user, the app “introduces the families together with the presence of service consultants”, who will “accompany” the couple for four years after marriage. The registration is free for the users.

    Iran’s authorities, including the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have cautioned many times against the country’s rising rate of marriage and declining birth rates.

    In March, Iran’s conservative-dominated parliament passed a bill titled “population growth and supporting families.”

    It mandates the government to offer significant financial incentives for marriage and to encourage people to have more than two children while limiting access to abortion.

    The law awaits approval by the Guardian Council, which is tasked with checking that bills are in accordance with Islamic law and the constitution.