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Six Survivors Sue Hinge, Tinder and Parent Companies Over Convicted Denver Rapist

Plaintiffs allege the apps ignored 2020 warnings, failing to remove a doctor who used their platforms to find victims.

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FILE – This Tuesday, July 28, 2020, file photo shows the icon for the Tinder dating app on a device in New York. The use of dating apps in the last 18 months of the pandemic has surged around the globe. Tinder reported 2020 as its busiest year. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)

Overview

  • Lawsuit filed Tuesday in Denver County District Court names Stephen Matthews, Hinge, Match Group, Tinder and IAC as defendants.
  • Plaintiffs say Hinge was alerted in September 2020 that Matthews drugged and raped a user, claimed to have permanently banned him, then allowed his profile to reappear.
  • Five plaintiffs met Matthews on Hinge and one on Tinder, and the complaint argues the companies’ designs enabled ban evasion and let abusers erase evidence by unmatching.
  • The suit seeks a jury trial and monetary damages and brings strict product liability, failure to warn, negligence, consumer protection, trafficking and related claims.
  • Matthews was convicted in 2024 on 35 counts involving 10 women and is serving a 158-year sentence; Match Group has said it takes misconduct reports seriously and removes violators.