Editing Online dating (section)

== Reception ==
Opinions and usage of online dating services also differ widely. A 2005 study of data collected by the [[Pew Internet & American Life Project]] found that individuals are more likely to use an online dating service if they use the Internet for a greater number of tasks, and less likely to use such a service if they are trusting of others.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kang|first=Tanya|author2=Lindsay H. Hoffman|year=2011|title=Why Would You Decide to Use an Online Dating Site? Factors That Lead to Online Dating|journal=[[Communication Research Reports]]|volume=28|issue=3|page=205|doi=10.1080/08824096.2011.566109|s2cid=145355237}}</ref>

Attitudes towards online dating improved visibly between 2005 and 2015, the Pew Research Center found. In particular, the number of people who thought that online dating was a good way to meet people rose from 44% in 2005 to 59%. Although only a negligible number of people dated online in 2005, that rose to 11% in 2013 and then 15% in 2015.<ref name="Smith-2016-2" /> In particular, the number of American adults who had used an online dating site went from 9% in 2013 to 12% in 2015 while those who used an online dating software application on their mobile phones jumped from 3% to 9% during the same period.<ref name="Smith-2016">{{Cite web|url=http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/02/11/15-percent-of-american-adults-have-used-online-dating-sites-or-mobile-dating-apps/|title=15% of American Adults Have Used Online Dating Sites or Mobile Dating Apps|last=Smith|first=Aaron|date=2016-02-11|website=Pew Research Center Internet and Tech|access-date=November 28, 2019}}</ref> This increase was driven mainly by people aged 18 to 24, for whom usage almost tripled. At the same time, usage among those between the ages of 55 and 64 doubled.<ref name="Smith-2016-2">{{Cite news|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/5-facts-about-online-dating/|title=5 facts about online dating|last1=Smith|first1=Aaron|date=February 29, 2016|work=Pew Research Center|access-date=November 28, 2019|last2=Anderson|first2=Monica|department=Fact Tank}}</ref>

According to a 2015 study by the [[Pew Research Center]], people who had used online dating services had a higher opinion of such services than those who had not. 80% of the users said that online dating sites are a good way to meet potential partners.<ref name="Smith-2016" />

In 2016, [[Consumer Reports]] surveyed approximately 115,000 online dating service subscribers across multiple platforms and found that while 44 percent of survey respondents stated that usage of online dating services led to a serious long-term intimate relationship or marriage,<ref>{{cite press release|title=Consumer Reports Survey Finds Online Dating can be Frustrating, Time-Consuming, but also produce Long-Term Results|date=January 1, 2017|publisher=Consumer Reports|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2017/01/consumer_reports_survey_finds_online_dating_can_be_frustrating_time-consuming_but_also_produce_long-term_results/|access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref> a subset of approximately 9,600 subscribers that had used at least one online dating service within the previous two years rated satisfaction with the services they used lower than Consumer Reports surveys of consumer satisfaction with [[technical support]] services and rated satisfaction with free online dating services as slightly more satisfactory than services with paid subscriptions.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Meltzer|first=Marisa|date=December 29, 2016|title=Online Dating: Match Me If You Can|magazine=Consumer Reports|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/dating-relationships/online-dating-guide-match-me-if-you-can/|access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Meltzer|first=Marisa|date=January 18, 2017|title=Are Paid Dating Sites Better Than Free Ones?|magazine=Consumer Reports|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/dating-relationships/are-paid-dating-sites-better-than-free-ones/|access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref> In the October 2019 Pew Research Center survey, 57% of survey respondents who had used online dating said their experiences on the platforms was very or somewhat positive while 42% said their experiences were very or somewhat negative, and 76% of survey respondents felt that online dating has had neither a positive or negative effect on dating and relationships or a mostly negative effect while 22% felt that online dating has had a mostly positive effect.<ref name="Pew 2-6-2020" />

In a July 2022 survey of 6,034 U.S. adults conducted by the Pew Research Center, 53% of survey respondents who had used online dating said their experiences on the platforms were either very or somewhat positive while 46% said their experiences were either very or somewhat negative, 54% of all survey respondents said they believed that dating apps either made no difference in finding a partner or spouse or made doing so harder while 42% said they believed that dating apps made finding a partner or spouse easier, and 80% of survey respondents felt that online dating has had neither a positive or negative effect on dating and relationships or a mostly negative effect while 18% felt that online dating has had a mostly positive effect.<ref name="Pew 2-2-2023 Press Release">{{cite press release|last1=Vogels|first1=Emily A.|last2=McClain|first2=Colleen|date=February 2, 2023|title=Key findings about online dating in the U.S.|publisher=Pew Research Center|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/02/key-findings-about-online-dating-in-the-u-s/|access-date=March 21, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Pew 2-2-2023 Report">{{cite report|last1=McClain|first1=Colleen|last2=Gelles-Watnick|first2=Risa|date=February 2, 2023|title=From Looking for Love to Swiping the Field: Online Dating in the U.S.|publisher=Pew Research Center|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/02/02/from-looking-for-love-to-swiping-the-field-online-dating-in-the-u-s/|access-date=March 21, 2024}}</ref>

=== Trust and safety issues ===
{{See also|Sexually transmitted infection|Date rape|Procuring (prostitution)}}

As online dating services are not required to routinely conduct [[background check]]s on members, it is possible for profile information to be misrepresented or falsified.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/2/20991656/match-group-dating-apps-identity-tinder-hinge-background-check|title=Would background checks make dating apps safer?|first=Ashley|last=Carman|date=December 2, 2019|website=The Verge}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/okcupid-is-now-making-you-use-your-real-name-but-these-dating-sites-still-let-you-be-anonymous-7678391|title=OkCupid Is Now Making You Use Your Real Name — But These Dating Sites Still Let You Be Anonymous|date=December 22, 2017|website=Bustle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23117392|title=Background checks split online dating industry|date=February 12, 2008|website=NBC News}}</ref> Also, there may be users on dating services that have illicit intentions (i.e. date rape, [[Procuring (prostitution)|procurement]], etc.).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-25/sexual-predators-using-tinder-as-dating-apps-rape-rates-rise/10406654|title='He had me trapped': Sexual predators using dating apps to target victims|newspaper=ABC News |date=October 24, 2018|via=www.abc.net.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insideindonesia.org/archive/articles/online-dating-apps-blocked|title=Online dating apps blocked - Inside Indonesia: The peoples and cultures of Indonesia|website=www.insideindonesia.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wxyz.com/news/the-apps-predators-are-using-and-what-parents-should-know|title = The apps human trafficking predators use and what parents should know|date = January 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Phan |first1=Anh |last2=Seigfried-Spellar |first2=Kathryn |last3=Choo |first3=Kim-Kwang Raymond |title=Threaten me softly: A review of potential dating app risks |journal=[[Computers in Human Behavior Reports]] |date=2021 |volume=3 |pages=100055 |doi=10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100055 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[OkCupid|OKCupid]] once introduced a real name policy, but that was later taken removed due to unpopularity with its users.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2017/12/23/okcupid-backtracks-on-its-real-names-only-policy-for-users/|title=OKCupid Backtracks on Its New 'Real Name' Policy &#124; Fortune|date=May 29, 2018|access-date=September 1, 2020|archive-date=May 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529093928/https://fortune.com/2017/12/23/okcupid-backtracks-on-its-real-names-only-policy-for-users/|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>

Only some online dating services are providing important safety information such as STD status of its users<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/10/dating-apps-stds-080159|title=How some — but not all — dating apps are taking on the STD epidemic|date=December 10, 2019|website=Politico}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04349748|title=CTG Labs - NCBI|website=clinicaltrials.gov|date=May 25, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://medcitynews.com/2016/01/tinder-healthvana-std/|title=Tinder adds link to Healthvana for STD testing services|first=Neil|last=Versel|date=January 22, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/985207/app-for-finding-out-std-status/|title=Apps for safe bumping|first=Christina|last=Caldwell|date=April 3, 2013}}</ref> or other infectious diseases, but many do not.

Some online dating services which are popular amongst members of [[LGBT community|queer communities]] are sometimes used by people as a means of meeting these audiences for the purpose of [[gaybashing]] or [[trans bashing]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/grindr-teenager-ben-bamford-sentenced-knife-murder-a7433656.html|title=A teenager is being sentenced after murdering a civil servant he met on Grindr|date=November 23, 2016|website=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Gay man killed, another critically injured in Grindr meetup |website=[[NBC News]] |date=July 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602230832/https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/gay-man-killed-another-critically-injured-grindr-meetup-n1029881 |archive-date=2023-06-02 |url-status=live |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/gay-man-killed-another-critically-injured-grindr-meetup-n1029881}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35131546|title=Grindr users targeted by armed gang, say police|work=BBC News |date=December 18, 2015}}</ref>

A form of misrepresentation is that members may lie about their height, weight, age, or marital status in an attempt to market or brand themselves in a particular way.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140316230919-1288829-when-personal-branding-get-too-personal|title=When personal branding get too personal! Online dating and your brand.|date=March 16, 2014|publisher=Linkedin|last1=Jones|first1=Cher}}</ref> Users may also carefully manipulate profiles as a form of [[impression management]].<ref name="Couch 2008">{{cite journal|last=Couch|first=Danielle|year=2008|title=Online Dating and Mating: The Use of the Internet to Meet Sexual Partners|journal=Qualitative Health Research|volume=18|issue=2|pages=268–79|author2=Pranee Liamputtong|doi=10.1177/1049732307312832|pmid=18216345|s2cid=20787876}}</ref> Online daters have raised concerns about [[ghosting (relationships)|ghosting]], the practice of ceasing all communication with a person without explaining why. Ghosting appears to be becoming more common.<ref>{{Cite web|title = I Asked Men Why They Ghosted Me {{!}} VICE|url = https://www.vice.com/en/article/i-asked-men-why-they-ghosted-me-511/|website = VICE|access-date = 2016-02-03|language = en-us|date = 2015-11-10}}</ref> Various explanations have been suggested, but social media is often blamed,<ref>{{Cite journal|title = PsycNET - DOI Landing page|journal = Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice|volume = 8|issue = 4|pages = 291–301|doi = 10.1037/1089-2699.8.4.291|year = 2004|last1 = Smith|first1 = Anita|last2 = Williams|first2 = Kipling D.|citeseerx = 10.1.1.463.6556|url = http://www.psychology.stonybrook.edu/sbrennan-/psy384/papers/ostracis.pdf}}</ref> as are dating apps and the relative anonymity and isolation in modern-day dating and hookup culture, which make it easier to behave poorly with few social repercussions.<ref>{{Cite web|title = And Then I Never Heard From Him Again: The Awful Rise of Ghosting|url = http://www.thedatereport.com/dating/advice/and-then-i-never-heard-from-him-again-the-awful-rise-of-ghosting/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140820064044/http://www.thedatereport.com/dating/advice/and-then-i-never-heard-from-him-again-the-awful-rise-of-ghosting/|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2014-08-20|website = The Date Report (archived through The Internet Archive)|access-date = 2016-02-03}}</ref>

Online dating site members may try to balance an accurate representation with maintaining their image in a desirable way.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ellison|first=Nicole|year=2006|title=Managing impressions online: Self-presentation processes in the online dating environment|journal=Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication|volume=11|issue=2|pages=415–441|doi=10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00020.x|author2=Rebecca Heino|author3=Jennifer Gibbs|doi-access=free}}</ref> One study found that nine out of ten participants had lied on at least one attribute, though lies were often slight; weight was the most lied about attribute, and age was the least lied about.<ref name="Hancock 2007">{{cite journal |last=Hancock |first=Jeffrey |last2=Toma |first2=Catalina |last3=Ellison |first3=Nicole |year=2007 |title=The truth about lying in online dating profiles |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221515634_The_truth_about_lying_in_online_dating_profiles |journal=Association for Computing Machinery |doi=10.1145/1240624.1240697}}</ref> Furthermore, knowing a large amount of superficial information about a potential partner's interests may lead to a false sense of security when meeting up with a new person.<ref name="Williams">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/fashion/the-end-of-courtship.html?pagewanted=all|title=The End of Courtship|last=Williams|first=Alex|date=2013-01-11|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> Gross misrepresentation may be less likely on [[matrimonial website|matrimonials sites]] than on casual dating sites.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Madden |first1=Mary |last2=Lenhart |first2=Amanda |date=2006-03-05 |title=Online Dating |url=http://www.pewinternet.org/2006/03/05/online-dating/ |access-date=2017-04-01 |website=Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech}}</ref>

Some profiles may not even represent real humans but rather they may be fake "bait profiles" placed online by site owners to attract new paying members, or "spam profiles" created by advertisers to market services and products.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/09/ashley-madisons-terms-and-conditions-told-users-it-ran-fake-accounts | title=Ashley Madison's terms and conditions told users it ran fake accounts &#124; Ashley Madison &#124; the Guardian }}</ref>

Opinions on regarding the safety of online dating are mixed. Over 50% of research participants in a 2011 study did not view online dating as a dangerous activity, whereas 43% thought that online dating involved risk.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Couch | first1 = Danielle | last2 = Liamputtong | first2 = Pranee | last3 = Pitts | first3 = Marian | year = 2011 | title = Online Daters and the Use of Technology for Surveillance and Risk Management | journal = International Journal of Emerging Technologies & Society | volume = 9 | issue = 2| pages = 116–134 }}</ref> Date rape is a form of [[acquaintance rape]] and [[dating violence]]. The two phrases are often used interchangeably, but date rape specifically refers to a [[rape]] in which there has been some sort of romantic or potentially sexual relationship between the two parties.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kuersten |first=Ashlyn K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AnKGWlZG_ncC |title=Women and the Law: Leaders, Cases, and Documents |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2003 |isbn=978-0874368789 |pages=143–144}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What is rape and date rape? {{!}} girlshealth.gov |url=https://www.girlshealth.gov/safety/saferelationships/daterape.html |access-date=2021-09-05 |website=www.girlshealth.gov}}</ref> Acquaintance rape also includes rapes in which the victim and perpetrator have been in a non-romantic, non-sexual relationship, for example as co-workers or neighbors.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dziuba-Leatherman |first=Jennifer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K7Jh_LotPtkC |title=Acquaintance and Date Rape: An Annotated Bibliography |publisher=Greenwood |year=1994 |isbn=978-0313291494 |pages=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Horvath |first=Miranda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DNI3TKwWv20C |title=Rape: Challenging Contemporary Thinking |publisher=Willan |year=2009 |isbn=978-1843925194 |pages=117}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Belgrave |first=Faye Z. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dbuhAQAAQBAJ |title=African American Psychology: From Africa to America |publisher=SAGE Publications |year=2013 |isbn=978-1412999540 |pages=501}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Parrot |first=Andrea |url=https://archive.org/details/copingwithdatera00parr |title=Coping With Date Rape and Acquaintance Rape |publisher=Rosen Publishing Group |year=1998 |isbn=978-0823928613 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/copingwithdatera00parr/page/30 30] |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Wiehe |first=Vernon R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LhngpTXwtpMC |title=Intimate Betrayal: Understanding and Responding to the Trauma of Acquaintance Rape |publisher=SAGE Publications |year=1995 |isbn=978-0803973619 |pages=3–4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Kaminker |first=Laura |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XMnPD6ji9msC |title=Everything You Need to Know About Dealing With Sexual Assault |publisher=Rosen Pub Group |year=2002 |isbn=978-0823933037 |pages=16–18}}</ref> According to the United States [[Bureau of Justice Statistics]] (BJS), date rapes are among the most common forms of rape cases.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hammond |first1=Elizabeth M. |last2=Berry |first2=Melissa A. |last3=Rodriguez |first3=Dario N. |date=2011-09-01 |title=The influence of rape myth acceptance, sexual attitudes, and belief in a just world on attributions of responsibility in a date rape scenario |journal=Legal and Criminological Psychology |language=en |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=242–252 |doi=10.1348/135532510X499887 |issn=2044-8333}}</ref> Date rape most commonly takes place among college students when alcohol is involved or [[date rape drug]]s are taken. One of the most targeted groups are women between the ages of 16 and 24.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Loiselle |first1=Marc i |last2=Fuqua |first2=Wayne R. |date=2007-04-01 |title=Alcohol's effects on women's risk detection in a date-rape vignette |journal=[[Journal of American College Health]] |volume=55 |issue=5 |pages=261–266 |citeseerx=10.1.1.494.4194 |doi=10.3200/JACH.55.5.261-266 |issn=0744-8481 |pmid=17396398 |s2cid=22404352}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Frintner |first1=Mary Pat |last2=Rubinson |first2=Laurna |date=1993-12-01 |title=Acquaintance Rape: The Influence of Alcohol, Fraternity Membership, and Sports Team Membership |journal=Journal of Sex Education and Therapy |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=272–284 |doi=10.1080/01614576.1993.11074089 |issn=0161-4576}}</ref>

In the October 2019 Pew Research Center survey, 53% of survey respondents said believed that dating apps were a very or somewhat safe way to meet potential partners while 46% believed they were a not too safe or not at all safe way to do so, and 50% online dating respondents said that they believed that [[Catfishing|scam accounts]] were common.<ref name="Pew 2-6-2020" /> In the July 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 49% of survey respondents said believed that dating apps were a not too safe or not at all safe way to meet potential partners while 48% believed they were a very or somewhat safe way to do so, and 52% online dating respondents said that they believed that scam accounts were common.<ref name="Pew 2-2-2023 Press Release" /><ref name="Pew 2-2-2023 Report" />

In response to these issues, over 120 [[Facebook]] groups named ''[[Are We Dating The Same Guy?]]'' were created where women share red flags about men<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-20 |title=Are we dating the same guy? This Facebook group might know. |url=https://mashable.com/article/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-facebook |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref> and check that he is not dating another person.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-20 |title=Are we dating the same guy? This Facebook group might know. |url=https://mashable.com/article/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-facebook |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615164343/https://mashable.com/article/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-facebook |archive-date=2023-06-15 |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref> It is done by taking screenshots of a man's dating profile and posting it onto her city's designated Facebook group, asking "any tea?". Other users in the group will then share information about the man and share warnings.<ref name="vice2023">{{Cite web |last=Lavinia |first=Emilie |date=2023-05-26 |title=The Dark Side of 'Are We Dating the Same Guy' Groups |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-facebook-groups/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611071951/https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy375q/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-facebook-groups |archive-date=2023-06-11 |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=Vice |language=en}}</ref><ref name="The Independent-2023">{{Cite web |date=2023-10-12 |title=Inside the secret network of women naming and shaming their bad exes |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-b2428024.html |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=sgbb |url=https://timbaby.net/sgbb/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=HẸN HÒ NHANH CHÓNG - Kết nối Bạn Trai Giàu & Bạn Gái Xinh toàn quốc |language=vi}}</ref> The groups are moderated by volunteers,<ref name="The Independent-2023" /> and have been described as a [[Feminism|feminist]] group.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-11 |title="Are We Sharing Boyfriends?:" Toxic Dating Trend or Modern-Day Feminism? |url=https://hypebae.com/2022/4/tiktok-viral-facebook-group-are-we-sharing-boyfriends-trend |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805011536/https://hypebae.com/2022/4/tiktok-viral-facebook-group-are-we-sharing-boyfriends-trend |archive-date=2023-08-05 |access-date=2023-08-05 |website=Hypebae}}</ref>

=== Billing complaints ===
Online subscription-based services can suffer from complaints about billing practices. Some online dating service providers may have fraudulent membership fees or credit card charges.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2013/mar/21/bad-romance-online-dating-complaints-made-ftc/|title=Bad romance: Online dating complaints made to the FTC|website=MuckRock|date=March 21, 2013 |access-date=2015-12-14}}</ref> Some sites do not allow members to preview available profiles before paying a subscription fee. Furthermore, different functionalities may be offered to members who have paid or not paid for subscriptions, resulting in some confusion around who can view or contact whom.

Consolidation within the online dating industry has led to different newspapers and magazines now advertising the same website [[database]] under different names. In the UK, for example, [[Time Out (company)|''Time Out'']] ("London Dating"), ''[[The Times]]'' ("Encounters"), and ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' ("Kindred Spirits"), all offer differently named portals to the same service—meaning that a person who subscribes through more than one publication has unwittingly paid more than once for access to the same service.

=== Imbalanced gender ratios ===
Little is known about the sex ratio controlled for age. [[eHarmony]]'s membership is about 57% female and 43% male,<ref>{{Cite web|title = Compare Online Dating Site reviews and prices at NextAdvisor.com|url = http://www.nextadvisor.com/online_dating/compare.php|website = www.nextadvisor.com|access-date = 2015-12-14|archive-date = December 22, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151222131416/http://www.nextadvisor.com/online_dating/compare.php|url-status = dead}}</ref> whereas the ratio at [[Match.com]] is about the reverse of that.{{update inline|date=May 2024}} On specialty niche websites{{which|date=May 2024}} where the primary demographic is male, there is typically a very unbalanced ratio of male to female or female to male.<ref>[http://www.brandchannel.com/careers_profile.asp?cr_id=53 Brandchannel.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012200213/http://brandchannel.com/careers_profile.asp?cr_id=53 |date=2007-10-12 }}. Retrieved 21 November 2007.</ref> As of June 2015, 62% of [[Tinder (app)|Tinder]] users were male and 38% were female.<ref>{{cite web|title = Distribution of Tinder Users Worldwide as of 2nd Quarter 2015, by Gender|url = http://www.statista.com/statistics/426059/tinder-gender-distribution/|website = Statista|access-date = November 18, 2015}}</ref>

Studies have suggested that men are far more likely to send messages on dating sites than women.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Cupid on Trial: An OKCupid Online Dating Experiment|url = http://jonmillward.com/blog/attraction-dating/cupid-on-trial-a-4-month-online-dating-experiment/|website = Jon Millward|access-date = 2015-12-14|language = en-US|date = 2012-06-19}}</ref> In addition, men tend to message the most attractive women regardless of their own attractiveness.<ref>{{Cite journal|title="Where Have All the Good Men Gone?" Gendered Interactions in Online Dating|journal = Journal of Marriage and the Family|date = 2014-04-01|issn = 0022-2445|pmc = 4043335|pmid = 24910472|pages = 387–410|volume = 76|issue = 2|doi = 10.1111/jomf.12072|first1 = Derek A.|last1 = Kreager|first2 = Shannon E.|last2 = Cavanagh|first3 = John|last3 = Yen|first4 = Mo|last4 = Yu}}</ref> This leads to the most attractive women on these sites receiving an overwhelming number of messages, which can in some cases result in them leaving the site.{{Citation needed|date=June 2020}}

There is some evidence that there may be differences in how women online rate male attractiveness as opposed to how men rate female attractiveness. The distribution of ratings given by men of female attractiveness appears to be the [[normal distribution]], while ratings of men given by women is highly skewed, with 80% of men rated as below average.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/2009/11/17/your-looks-and-online-dating/|title=Your Looks and Your Inbox|author=Christian Rudder|work=OkTrends}}</ref>

=== Allegations of discrimination ===
[[Gay rights]] groups have complained that certain websites that restrict their dating services to heterosexual couples are discriminating against [[homosexuals]]. Homosexual customers of the popular [[eHarmony]] dating website have made many attempts to litigate discriminatory practices.<ref>{{cite news|last=Buss|first=Dale|title=Discordant Voices Among eHarmony.com's Customers|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB122782471897362521|access-date=31 October 2013|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal – Eastern Edition|date=28 November 2008}}</ref> eHarmony was sued in 2007 by a [[lesbian]] claiming that "[s]uch outright discrimination is hurtful and disappointing for a business open to the public in this day and age."<ref>{{cite web |title=Woman sues eHarmony for discrimination – USATODAY.com |url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-06-01-eharmony-suit-discrimination_N.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025013749/https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-06-01-eharmony-suit-discrimination_N.htm |archive-date=25 October 2011 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> In light of discrimination by sexual orientation by dating websites, some services such as [[Gaydar (website)|GayDar.net]] and [[Chemistry.com]] cater more to homosexual dating.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}