Defendant in ‘Addictive’ Dating Platform Action Seeks Arbitration

SAN FRANCISCO — The owner of three online dating websites has moved to compel arbitration of claims accusing it of designing its online dating sites with “addictive, game-like design features” that trap users in an endless “pay-to-play” loop that prioritizes profits over customers’ relationship goals.

In an April 15 motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, MatchGroup Inc., which owns Tinder, Hinge and The League, argues that each plaintiff agreed to arbitrate on an individual basis all disputes arising from their use of the websites.

“To create an account on each of the Platforms …