OKCupid Dating Website Admits To Deceiving Users With Phony Match Results
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- In a blog post titled "We Experiment On Human Beings," dating website OKCupid's co-founder Christian Rudder admitted to deceiving its users with deliberate mismatches.
OKCupid showcased three experiments it conducted. One in particular involved tweaking its matching algorithm. The site told users they were "90% compatible" with otherwise bad matches to see how that might distort their perception and influence whether they made contact with the other person.
Perhaps to head off potential blowback from upset users, Rudder's post reminded them "if you use the Internet, you're the subject of hundreds of experiments at any given time, on every site. That's how websites work."