Tinder, the well-known dating app, has been ordered by a California federal court to pay $17.3 million worth of subscription features and cash to settle claims that the company overcharged dating app users based on their age.

In June of 2018, a class action against Tinder, which is owned by Match Group Inc., alleged that the Tinder violated California civil rights and consumer protection laws by discriminating against people over the age of 29, charging them more than younger users for its premium Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold services.

An estimated 230,000 Tinder users are included in this settlement, and the settlement states all will be eligible to receive 50 free “Super Likes,” a feature that costs $1 each and allows users to highlight their profiles to others on the app.

In addition to approximately $11.5 million worth of Super Likes, Tinder will also pay an estimated $5.75 million in the form of a $25 check, 25 additional Super Likes, or a one-month free subscription to Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold.

The settlement also lays out terms that Tinder will promise not to charge users different prices for its services as long as they are over the age of 21. However, it can still offer discounts to under-21 users, and it can change its practices if judicial precedent or legislation in California changes to allow age-based discrimination in pricing.

Tinder also agreed not to oppose requests by the users for $1,200,000 or less in attorneys’ fees, and a $5,000 incentive award for lead plaintiff Lisa Kim.

Anyone who purchased a Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold subscription since March 2015 is eligible for a payout under the terms of the settlement, as long as they were 29 or older and they lived in California when they bought the subscription.

The users are represented by John P. Kristensen, David L. Weisberg and Christina M. Le of Kristensen Weisberg LLP, and Todd M. Friedman and Adrian R. Bacon of the Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman.

Tinder and Match are represented by Robert H. Platt, Donald R. Brown and Alexandra N. Hill of Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP.

The case is Lisa Kim v. Tinder Inc. et al, case number 2:18-cv-03093, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

* Lowe & Associates (“The Firm”) is a boutique entertainment and business litigation firm located in Beverly Hills, California. The Firm has extensive experience handling cases involving entertainment law, having provided top quality legal services to its clients since 1991. The Firm is recognized in multiple publications for its many achievements and high ethical standards, including Martindale-Hubbell and Super Lawyers.

Find us at our website at www.LoweLaw.com