Match Group, Tinder's parent company, recently announced its intention to exit the Russian market by June 30, Reuters reports.
The move comes as Western companies continue to withdraw from Russia owing to concerns over human rights violations, notably after Moscow pushed soldiers into Ukraine last year.
Why is Match Group pulling out?
One year ago, food corporations such as McDonald's and Starbucks were among the first to leave wartime Russia, followed by other industries such as the automobile industry.
Match Group said in its annual impact report on Monday, May 1, that the company is committed to human rights protection.
Thus, its products Tinder, Hinge, and PlentyOfFish, among the company's dating apps, will try to restrict access to their services in Russia and exit the Russian market by the end of June.
Match Group is not the first digital service provider to leave Russia due to Russia's military action in Ukraine. Companies like Spotify and Netflix ceased operations shortly after the ongoing battle began in February 2022.
Match Groups' Decision to Stay Longer in Russia
While Match has made few public statements about its Russian operations, negative implications for its European operations came to light in March 2022. Match has made no more statements about departing the Russian market.
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Reuters tells us that Friends Fiduciary Corp, a shareholder in Match, praised the company for relating its decision to the human rights threats that the Ukrainian people confront.
However, Friends Fiduciary's executive director, Jeff Perkins, has stated that a business that trades on trust has good reason to leave Russia.
Perkins observes that it is not in good taste for a reputable brand to continue operations in a country where the International Criminal Court has indicted the chief of state.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 17, alleging him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Moscow denies perpetrating war crimes, including the forcible deportation of children, and argues that the International Criminal Court's decision is meaningless since Russia is not a member.
The Role of the Dating App in the War
Insider reported back in April that Russian spies used Tinder to gain information from German politicians and soldiers, as per reports by Germany's Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD).
The Russian agents are targeting politicians and members of the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, to recruit them as sources of information, MAD said.
Additionally, Europol, the European police organization, has also recognized dating apps as online platforms being used by persons for human trafficking objectives, drawing attention to the suffering of Ukrainian refugees.
Match Group's decision to withdraw from the Russian market reflects concerns about human rights violations in the country and the significance of trust and reputation in the age of digital media.
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