Tinder owner Match Group (MTCH.O) will exit Russia by June 30, citing the need to defend human rights.
“We are committed to protecting human rights,” Match stated in an annual impact report released Monday. “Our brands are taking steps to restrict access to their services in Russia and will complete their withdrawal from the Russian market by June 30, 2023.”
Shortly after Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, several companies providing digital services with little local presence, including Spotify and Netflix, withdrew from the Russian market.
While Match has said little publicly about its Russian operations, the company did warn of negative impacts on its European business in March 2022. Match’s brands include Tinder, Hinge, and PlentyOfFish, all dating applications.
When asked for clarification, Match did not get back to us immediately.
According to Friends Fiduciary Corp, a Match stakeholder, Match has created a precedent by connecting their choice to the human rights dangers the Ukrainian people confront.
In September, the European police organization Europol brought attention to the issue of Ukrainian migrants by stating that dating apps were among the internet platforms being “hijacked” by persons for human trafficking objectives.
Friends Fiduciary executive director Jeff Perkins told Reuters that a company based on trust has excellent cause to leave Russia.
As one critic put it, “it’s not 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.”
On March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest order for Russian President Vladimir Putin for the alleged war crime of forcibly removing hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Moscow claims the ICC’s ruling is worthless since Russia is not a member and rejects any involvement in war crimes, including the forced deportation of children.