Tinder causes controversy with new height filter
The dating app has been called out for implementing a new, divisive height filter.
The popular dating app Tinder is said to have started testing a new "height" filter for Gold and Premium subscribers.
Tinder's controversial new filter will allow users to select how tall they would like potential matches to be.
"We're always listening to what matters most to our Tinder users—and testing the paid height preference is a great example of how we're building with urgency, clarity, and focus," a Tinder spokesperson told Newsweek.
"This is part of a broader effort to help people connect more intentionally on Tinder. Our new product principles guide every decision, and this one speaks directly to a few: prioritising user outcomes, moving fast, and learning quickly. Not every test becomes a permanent feature, but every test helps us learn how we can deliver smarter, more relevant experiences and push the category forward."
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According to the Independent, Tinder is positioning this filter as a "paid preference" rather than a hard filter.
This means the setting is more of a suggestion to the algorithm and does not completely block users of a certain height.
It is currently being tested for Gold and Premium subscribers.
According to Newsweek, other popular dating apps such as Hinge and Bumble have already given Premium users access to a height filter.
Unfortunately for the dating app, this new filter has come with a lot of online scrutiny and controversy.
"It's over for short men. What are they going to do now?" one person wrote on X.
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"Men and women alike are derangingly obsessed with men's heights in theory, but it doesn't really translate IRL. Every day I live my short guy life, and it's not much of an issue. Meanwhile, the popular wisdom on being a 5'6" man is 'Kill Yourself Now'," wrote media and culture writer @uncanny_eli on X.
"They put the Tinder height filter behind a paywall—short kings are safe. Pretty girls don't pay for dating apps," one person joked.
As per the Independent, online dating app OKCupid compiled data that shows men often add at least two inches to their height to appear more appealing to women.
What do you think?
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Main image: iStock