Match

Is Match safe?

Match is about as safe as the other big dating apps, with lighter ad tracking than most and a weaker record with regulators. Its App Store label lists only identifiers used to track you, compared with location and contact details on Bumble. But the US Federal Trade Commission sued Match Group in 2019 over how Match.com sold subscriptions, and in August 2025 the company agreed to pay $14 million to settle. We score it 51/100, a point above Tinder.

Match launched in 1995 and Match Group describes it as a brand for people with a "higher level of intent" to find a serious relationship. That makes its users a natural target for romance scammers, who look for people hoping for something long term.

What the FTC said about Match.com

The FTC filed its complaint in September 2019. Its most striking allegation concerned the emails Match sent to free members, such as "He just e-mailed you!", which they had to pay to read. The FTC said many of those contacts came from accounts Match had already flagged as likely fake, and CBS News reported the agency's claim that hundreds of thousands of people subscribed after receiving them.

That part of the case did not survive. In March 2022 a federal court in Texas dismissed the fake-account email claims, finding them barred by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act because the messages were created by third parties, not Match. So the claim was never proven, and never disproven either.

The rest of the case ended in a settlement announced on 12 August 2025. The FTC alleged that Match had:

• promised a free six months if users did not "meet someone special" without clearly disclosing the conditions;
• suspended the accounts of users who disputed charges and failed, keeping their money without giving them the service;
• made subscriptions hard to cancel.

Match Group agreed to pay $14 million for consumer refunds, to disclose guarantee terms clearly, to stop retaliating against users who dispute charges, and to offer a simple way to cancel. The FTC vote was 3-0.

A second FTC case, filed and settled in March 2026 and approved by the court in April, concerned OkCupid giving user photos and location data to an outside company. Its order bars both OkCupid and Match Group from misrepresenting their privacy practices. See our OkCupid page for the details.

What Match does with your data

Match's labels are tamer than those of most dating apps. Apple's label lists only identifiers used to track you, and only device IDs linked to you for third-party advertising. Precise location, photos, search history, payment information and "sensitive info" are linked to your identity for Match's own analytics, personalisation and features. On a dating app, sensitive info can mean sexual orientation or religion.

Google Play adds that app interactions and device IDs are shared with other companies for advertising or marketing, and that names, emails, phone numbers and user IDs are shared for fraud prevention and security. Data is encrypted in transit, and you can request deletion. We found no confirmed breach of Match user data.

Romance scams on serious-dating apps

The FTC counted nearly 70,000 US romance scam reports and $1.3 billion in losses in 2022, with a median loss of $4,400. The favourite cover stories were a military posting far away, a job on an offshore oil rig, and a crypto "investment" the scammer offers to teach you. Those scripts fit an app where users expect long conversations before meeting.

Match does not publish how many fake accounts it removes. Match Group's annual report says its Face Check video selfie launched at Tinder in 2025 and is planned for other brands; it does not say when it will reach Match.

How to use Match more safely

1. Before paying, look closely at who has "contacted" you. Several polished profiles writing on day one is a reason to wait.
2. Pay through the App Store or Google Play if you want cancellation in one place, and set a reminder before the renewal date.
3. Video call before you meet, and keep chats in the app until you have met in person.
4. Never send money, gift cards or crypto to a match, whatever the story.
5. Leave out your surname, employer and neighbourhood from your profile, and meet in public with your own transport.

How we scored it

Scams and harmful content (42) is the weakest factor, because serious-dating apps attract long-game romance scammers and the FTC's fake-account allegations, though dismissed, show the risk. Privacy (46) is better than most dating apps thanks to limited ad tracking. The regulatory record (50) reflects the $14 million FTC settlement and the 2026 FTC privacy order that also binds Match Group.