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30/07/2014

OKCupid Admits Lying To Members

OKCupid has issued a statement admitting it lied to members about their compatibility with other singletons on the site. It added that it was part of an "experiment".

The dating website uses an algorithm to determine the suitability of two individual's as a couple, and this is carried out by looking at their stated ambitions, desires and interests. However, the founder of OKCupid changed the results of the algorithm and informed some users – who were incompatible together – that they were rather 'highly' compatible. As a result of this determination, the site said users were much more likely to interact.

The experiment was revealed in a blog post by OKCupid's founder Christian Rudder, and described the findings as proof that the "mere myth of compatibility works just as well as the truth".

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In his explanation, titled We Experiment On Human Beings!, he wrote: "We noticed recently that people didn't like it when Facebook 'experimented' with their news feed.

"But guess what, everybody: 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."

He then went on to outline other experiments which have previously been carried out by the site. One study, using member photos by the company, happened in January 2013. In this instance, OKCupid removed all users' photos to see how it would affect interactions. The site found that people were actually quicker to respond to first messages, and exchanged contact information more quickly as a result. Of those who went on blind dates, they were said to have a good time at the same rate as those who'd seen their potential partners beforehand.

The revelation that the firm has "experimented" on its users has been met with a mixed response. While some claim they understand why the experiments have taken place, others described them as "creepy".

(JP/MH)

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"OKCupid has issued a statement admitting it lied to members about their compatibility with other singletons on the site."