People dating online have experienced some form of threat or problem

Over billions of messages are exchanged on dating app on various platforms globally and this figure has shown a sharp rise from 2021. Dating apps made $3 billion in 2020, Tinder tops spending list. The pandemic further amplified the trend of online dating as more millennials & Gen-Zs shunned their inhibitions and joined the online dating world to evade pandemic induced isolations. Certain dating apps have added COVID Preferences Center to help normalise and better facilitate conversations about dating during the pandemic.

The feature allows users to see what the other person’s dating preferences are - virtual only, or meeting outdoors and in uncrowded places, and what precautions they want to take. Virtual dating is becoming a norm with users who want to connect on video calls for a pre-date before they actually meet in person. In India, more than 80% mothers are now comfortable with their children finding a partner on a dating app, according to a study by TrulyMadly.

Online Dating is the category with the highest amounts of available services and the highest amounts of users. Several mobile dating apps have taken off in this segment in the past few years, but few are actually making any significant revenues. Revenue in the Online Dating segment is projected to reach $558.70 million in 2022.

Overall, 55% of people that date online have experienced some form of threat or problem – ranging from IT security incidents to meeting up with people that didn't turn out to be who they claimed, or being rejected by potential matches. The data suggests that men put themselves at risk more than women. Now, apps are making their user interface more secure to sustain more women on their platform. Tinder is a good example for a household name and exceptional good business model.

With its swiping feature it became the top-grossing non-game app for the first time in years. Asia and South America are promising regions for the near future. Building safe, trustworthy, and engaging dating platforms have led to this transformation among parents and their increasing support to the younger generation. Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jaipur, Nagpur, and Pune emerged as the top cities in India where parents support the usage of these apps, the study highlighted. Dating apps also gained a lot of traction from users in Tier 2 & 3 cities as COVID-19 induced lockdown, restricted movements, limited social contact, and reverse migration created a void and a sense of isolation, says expert.

According to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, 57% of online daters lie to each other while 41% have faced some or the other form of fraud on dating apps. Many women also get unsolicited messages and drop off with a bad experience. There were several crimes that had occurred by the use of dating apps, potential mitigation strategies, the physiological and psychological effects on not only the general population, but also minority groups, and lastly, an assessment on the associated cybersecurity risks and potential digital artifacts of interest in criminal investigations.