United States of America: Federal Trade Commission filed complaint against Match Group regarding alleged deceptive advertising, billing, and cancellation practices

On 25 September 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas against Match Group, owners and operators of online dating services, including Match, Tinder, OkCupid, PlentyOfFish, and others. The FTC alleged violations of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act) and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA) through deceptive advertising practices, including sending “love interest” communications from accounts already flagged as likely fraudulent to nonsubscribers to induce purchases of paid subscriptions, failure to adequately disclose restrictive terms for a “six-month guarantee,” unfair suspension of accounts of consumers who unsuccessfully disputed charges, and cancellation processes that did not meet ROSCA’s requirement for a simple mechanism to stop recurring charges. The complaint sought a permanent injunction, monetary relief, and other equitable remedies to address the alleged conduct and prevent future violations.