OkCupid adds Black Lives Matter profile badge for users
Popular dating app is allowing users to raise awareness about civil rights, social justice causes
OkCupid has updated its dating platform to give users an opportunity to show their support for Black Lives Matter with a designation profile badge, the company announced on Thursday.
When logged in, users can answer the question, “Do you want to support the #BlackLivesMatter movement by adding a badge to your profile?” If the answer is yes, the hashtag will appear on the user’s profile alongside a black heart.
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OkCupid's new #BlackLivesMatter Badge requires users to answer the question: “Do you want to support the #BlackLivesMatter movement by adding a badge to your profile?” (OkCupid)
Other additions OkCupid has made in light of recent events include a series of match questions related to racial equality and social justice.
Examples of the new questions users may come across ask their stance on protesting to fight inequality, how they will address racial inequality and whether it’s important for their partner to fight for racial justice.
OkCupid's new matching questions ask users about their stance on racial equality. (OkCupid)
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The company received more than 100,000 answers to these new questions, according to an OkCupid press release.
More than half of OkCupid users who responded to the questions revealed they are donating their time or money, educating themselves or others on racial equality and protesting. Nearly a quarter of users have stuck with educating themselves or teaching others about racial equality.
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Nearly one-tenth of users have opted to donate their time or money to the cause while less than one-tenth have only protested.
This isn’t the first time OkCupid has provided users an outlet for civil rights and social justice causes. Previously, the company gave users the option of placing #IStandWithPP and #RightToLove badges on their profiles.
The responses shared by users fall in line with the trend OkCupid’s sister brand Tinder identified late last year that showed political causes are becoming more popular in the modern-day dating scene, especially among Gen Z.
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However, OkCupid’s new profile badge also comes days after Tinder was publically criticized by users who accused the dating app of banning people who share fundraising initiatives for Black Lives Matter.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTCH | MATCH GROUP INC. | 32.74 | +0.23 | +0.71% |
| IAC | IAC INC. | 48.23 | +0.90 | +1.90% |
Both companies are notably under the Match Group’s portfolio of brands, which is owned by IAC/InterActiveCorp – a media and internet giant that is led by billionaire Barry Diller.
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It’s not just dating apps that are implementing visuals to show support for Black Lives Matter after recent protests against police brutality have pushed Americans to action.
Amazon added a Black Lives Matter banner to its homepage and sent a message of its support to customers, to which CEO Jeff Bezos shared he’s “happy to lose” customers over his stance this week.
Meanwhile, Netflix has launched a collection of films and TV shows under the category Black Lives Matter to show that “Black storytelling matters.”
Countless other companies in media and other industries have shared similar sentiments internally for employees and externally for consumers via social media, including JPMorgan, Starbucks and the NFL.