Match Group (MTCH.O), the parent company of Tinder, has announced its intention to leave Russia by June 30, citing the need to protect human rights as one of many Western companies to leave since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine last year.
“We are committed to protecting human rights,” Match stated in an annual impact report issued on Monday. “Our brands are taking steps to restrict access to their services in Russia, and their withdrawal from the Russian market will be complete by June 30, 2023.”
Many digital service providers with few employees in Russia, such as Spotify and Netflix, withdrew their services shortly after Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022.
Match, whose brands include Tinder, Hinge, and PlentyOfFish, has made few public statements about its Russian operations but has warned of negative consequences for its European business in March 2022.
Match did not respond immediately to a request for additional comment.
Friends Fiduciary Corp, a Match shareholder, said Match had set an example for others to follow by tying its decision to the human rights risks that the Ukrainian people face.
In September, the European police agency Europol stated that dating apps were among the online platforms “hijacked” by individuals for human trafficking purposes, drawing attention to the plight of Ukrainian refugees.
According to Jeff Perkins, executive director of Friends Fiduciary, a business that trades on trust had good reason to leave Russia:
“It’s not a good look for a trusted brand to be continuing operations in a country where the head of state has been indicted by the International Criminal Court.”
On March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Moscow denies committing war crimes, including child deportation and claims the ICC decision is meaningless because Russia is not a member.
