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Tinder’s Claim of ‘Many Users’ in North Korea Meets Mockery Online Tinder Denies Its App Contributes to Hookup Culture
(about 4 hours later)
After Vanity Fair published an article last week looking at how mobile technology is undermining traditional dating norms among young adults, one tech company responded on Tuesday with a lengthy diatribe on Twitter. Like a person scorned after a bad date, the tech company Tinder went a little bit crazy on social media on Tuesday after Vanity Fair published an article last week blaming technology for the death of dating.
On its official Twitter account, Tinder called the report biased and took issue with the suggestion that its dating app was fueling a culture of casual sex. The article, “Tinder and the Dawn of the ‘Dating Apocalypse,’ ” was not just about Tinder — there is a wider Internet at work, the writer Nancy Jo Sales suggested. But the app, which lets users quickly swipe left to signal rejection or right to signal interest, was used to illustrate the problems young daters face when technology fuses short attention spans with too many options.
The criticism continued for more than 30 tweets, prompting suggestions that the company had gone overboard. On its official Twitter account, Tinder took issue with the report’s suggestion that its dating app was fueling a culture of casual sex.
One post came in for particular scorn. In arguing that its app — which lets users “swipe” profiles of other, nearby users to the left or right, depending on whether they are interested in meeting them — was not simply about arranging casual sex, Tinder said that it helped people find friends and make connections in places where Internet use is restricted. Specifically, the company mentioned China and North Korea, where it said it had “many users.” Tinder’s defense continued for more than 30 posts. The outrage was not lost on Twitter users, who relished the opportunity to point out that Tinder was being awfully thin-skinned.
That claim prompted a few creative memes featuring the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and many derisive questions about the extent of Tinder’s user base in those countries. Both — North Korea in particular — are well known for their controls on the Internet, and information in general. One post came under particular scorn. Tinder said it helped people find friends and make connections in places where Internet use is restricted.
A Tinder spokeswoman, Rosette Pambakian, reiterated the company’s claim in an email, though she would not provide specifics. “We have users in all 196 countries, including China and North Korea,” she said. “We cannot disclose additional information on our user base there.” The claim that Tinder had “many users” in North Korea prompted a few creative memes featuring that country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and many derisive questions about the extent of Tinder’s user base in China and North Korea. Both countries maintain strict controls on the Internet, and information in general.
Facebook is blocked in China, which makes it difficult to use Tinder there, since the app asks users to log in through Facebook. Such restrictions can be bypassed by virtual private networks, services that allow users to reach the Internet as if they were based outside China’s firewall. A Tinder spokeswoman, Rosette Pambakian, reiterated the company’s claim in an email. “We have users in all 196 countries, including China and North Korea,” she said. “We cannot disclose additional information on our user base there.”
Still, Tinder is seen largely as a service for foreigners in China, where it faces several domestic competitors. Momo, which made its debut in late 2011 and claims more than 78 million active users, is often called the “Tinder of China.” Tencent’s messaging app WeChat has more than 600 million users worldwide, most of them in China, and it is where most young Chinese do the bulk of their chatting and flirting. Facebook is blocked in China, which makes it difficult to use Tinder there, since the app asks users to log in through Facebook. Such restrictions can be bypassed by virtual private networks, services that allow users to reach the Internet as if they were coming from outside China’s firewall.
“The use of Tinder in China pales in comparison to the use of homegrown apps such as Momo and WeChat,” said Jemimah Steinfeld, author of the new book “Little Emperors and Material Girls: Sex and Youth in Modern China.” Still, Tinder is seen largely as a service for foreigners in China, where it faces several domestic competitors. Momo, which made its debut in late 2011 and claims more than 78 million active users, is often called the “Tinder of China.” And the app WeChat, used by more than 600 million people worldwide, is where most young Chinese do the bulk of their digital flirting.
In North Korea, there is much less space for an app like Tinder. Beyond a handful of elites, including people who work in specialized jobs like research and publishing state propaganda online, North Koreans do not have access to the Internet. The isolated, authoritarian state does have an intranet, Kwangmyong, which offers a limited selection of censored, domestic content. In North Korea, there is much less opportunity for an app like Tinder to find an audience. Beyond a handful of elites, including people who work in specialized jobs like research and publishing state propaganda online, North Koreans do not have access to the Internet. The isolated, authoritarian state does have an intranet, Kwangmyong, which offers a limited selection of censored, domestic content.
Vicky Mohieddeen, creative project manager for Koryo Tours, a travel company that leads regular trips to North Korea, said she had never heard of anyone there using Tinder.Vicky Mohieddeen, creative project manager for Koryo Tours, a travel company that leads regular trips to North Korea, said she had never heard of anyone there using Tinder.
“There is limited Internet access,” Ms. Mohieddeen said by telephone from Beijing, where the company is based. “There are very few foreigners based permanently there. I don’t think there’s enough that you need to swipe to see who is there.” “There is limited Internet access,” Ms. Mohieddeen said by telephone from Beijing, where the tour company is based. “There are very few foreigners based permanently there. I don’t think there’s enough that you need to swipe to see who is there.”
While foreigners in North Korea can gain access to the Internet, few tourists want to pay for expensive 3G service, Ms. Mohieddeen said. But some, she said, are quick to log into Tinder once they cross the border back into China. While foreigners in North Korea can gain access to the Internet, few tourists want to pay for expensive 3G mobile service, Ms. Mohieddeen said. But some, she said, are quick to log into Tinder once they cross the border back into China.
“The minute they got to Dandong, they’ve switched on their phones and have gone on Tinder,” she said, referring to a Chinese border city. “We’ve had that.”“The minute they got to Dandong, they’ve switched on their phones and have gone on Tinder,” she said, referring to a Chinese border city. “We’ve had that.”
On Wednesday, Tinder issued a statement saying it had gone too far in its reaction to the Vanity Fair article. Ms. Sales, the writer for Vanity Fair, continued to defend her reporting on Wednesday morning.
“While reading the recent Vanity Fair article about today’s dating culture, we were saddened to see that the article didn’t touch upon the positive experiences that the majority of our users encounter daily,” the statement said. “Our intention was to highlight the many statistics and amazing stories that are sometimes left unpublished, and, in doing so, we overreacted.” On Wednesday, Tinder issued a statement acknowledging its outburst.
“Our intention was to highlight the many statistics and amazing stories that are sometimes left unpublished, and, in doing so, we overreacted,” the company said.