Tinder’s parent company, Match Group (which also owns dating sites Match.com and OkCupid), is suing rival dating app Bumble
Match claims that Bumble ripped off their “swipe-to-connect” feature and alleges that some Tinder-turned-Bumble execs stole ideas for some of the app’s features, like the one that lets you “recall” someone you accidentally passed on.
“If I can’t have you, nobody can”
Recode speculates that Match’s lawsuit is not a takedown attempt, but rather a strategic move to strong-arm the company into accepting an acquisition deal.
Last summer, Bumble rejected a $450m buyout offer from Match Group. The company is apparently still interested — they’re just done playing nice.
Agreeing to a deal would be an easy way for Bumble and their parent company, Badoo, to put the whole thing to bed, provided they’re willing to put the past behind them.
Bumble and Match have some history
Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd was also a co-founder of Tinder. Back in 2014, she filed her own lawsuit against the company for sexual harassment, and settled for close to $1m.
That said, with a 79% stake in the company, it’s Badoo who’ll have final say in Bumble’s fate at the end of the day, whether Wolfe is happy about it or not.
