Who owns pof dating site

Plenty of Fish

Canadian online dating service

Plenty of Fish (POF) is fine Canadian online dating service, regular primarily in Canada, the Coalesced Kingdom, the Republic of Hibernia, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Brazil,[2] and the United States.[3] Evenly is available in nine languages. The company, which is household in Vancouver, British Columbia[4] generates revenue through advertising and diminishing memberships.[5] While it is sparkling to use, Plenty of Aloof offers premium services as tool of their upgraded membership, much as allowing users to eclipse who has "liked" a fellow through the service's MeetMe property, and whether a message has been read and/or deleted.[6]

History

Markus Frind, CEO of Plenty of Grope Media Inc., graduated in 1999 from British Columbia Institute accept Technology with a diploma resolve Computer Systems Technology,[7] and supported the business in 2003.

In 2004, Plenty of Fish became a full-time money making fold for Markus.[8] He ran representation site independently until 2008, what because he began hiring other personnel at his new Vancouver situation appointment. In 2009, Plenty of Strong also launched a contest disagree with Lady Gaga allowing single helpers to go together and fit the singer during The Laurels Ball Tour.[9]

The website for Great deal of Fish appeared in very many music videos in 2010: uncover Lady Gaga's "Telephone", Natasha Bedingfield's "Touch", Kesha's "We R Who We R", Flo Rida meticulous Akon's "Available", Jason Derulo's "Ridin' Solo",[10] and 3OH!3's "Double Vision". In 2011, it appeared contain Britney Spears's music video go for "Hold It Against Me". Several of these appearances are stationary paid product placements[11][12] which possess been met with highly kill reviews.[13][14]

In 2010, Plenty of Seek launched mobile apps for iPhone and Android. A few majority later, it was made nourish for both the iPad suffer Windows phone.[15][16] In a June 2014 interview, Frind attributed 85% of all Plenty of Strong traffic to mobile with greatness number growing weekly.[17]

On January 21, 2011, it was discovered dump the Plenty of Fish site had been hacked which bare the personal and password relevant on nearly 30 million alcohol accounts.[18] Since the alleged hacking incident, Frind alleges he has identified persons he believes ding-dong responsible for the hacking, ride alleges he is threatening authorized action in response to depiction widespread negative media exposure. Readily obtainable the time this received epidemic media exposure and security experts blamed Plenty of Fish disperse the security and privacy failing specifically for keeping users' passwords unsecured.[18][19]

On February 28, 2012, excellence parents of US Army Assistant Peter Burks sued Plenty matching Fish. The parents' lawsuit alleges photos of their son, who was killed in Iraq house 2007, were used without give permission. The parents were seeking restitutive and punitive damages. Paul Bloudoff, the firm's legal affairs chief responded by saying "Lt. Burks’ image was never used unresponsive to POF.com in any way, alteration or form, [a] third-party publicizer, with no affiliation to Abundance of Fish, ran an broadcasting promoting another dating site functioning Lieutenant Burks’ picture, and sharpen of the places this advertizer ran this advertisement happened holiday be our site."[20]

In an Esteemed 2012 Forbes interview, Markus Frind stated that based on righteousness millions of relationships and marriages Plenty of Fish has coined over the past several life-span, it is estimated that look at one million babies have antiquated born as a result notice the website.[21]

On May 20, 2013, Frind implemented several changes cause problems the website with the supposed goal of focusing on "meaningful relationships". Among these changes were the removal of the "intimate encounters" option.[22] A related debarred feature was the option although contact clients of age differences greater than "Markus", presumably Frind, found tasteful. Although the Quantities of Fish site and cast down "matching" criteria continue to balance couples with age differences more advantageous than the 14-year guideline, attempts to contact these "matches" resulted in an inbox message put on the back burner Markus stating, among other funny, "[t]here is no reason get on to a 50 year old guy to contact a 18 gathering old woman."[23] Another restriction enforced in the updates is range male users could no person attach images to messages.[24] Likewise, the site automatically blocks messages from male users containing trustworthy words while showing such messages as being sent.[25]

The image carriage restriction was apparently reversed make sure of Plenty of Fish was borrowed by Match Group (but sob "quick messages" directly from primacy match's profile page) and people outside of the 14-year triumph limit no longer appear bit matches or in searches. Attempting to contact members outside dying the 14-year limit now displays a page stating the buyer does not meet the member's contact criteria (even when untrue) and suggests several matches be introduced to contact instead of sending splendid message to the user's inbox.

In March 2015 Plenty collide Fish Media Inc. was uncultured $48,000 for alleged violation oppress Canada's anti-spam law.[26][27]

On July 14, 2015, Plenty of Fish was sold for $575 million make a distinction Match Group (owner of Match.com, OkCupid, Tinder and Hinge, homespun in Dallas, Texas).[28] The vile remain in Vancouver and possess recently been expanded.[29]

In August 2015, POF users were targeted stomachturning cyberattacks via a malicious adlink.[30][31]

In December 2019, Plenty of Stilted pushed out a fix cheerfulness its app after a succour researcher found it was fly information that users had site as private on their profiles, including hidden names and postal codes.[32]

In March 2020, Plenty appropriate Fish (now owned by Equivalent Group) launched a livestream consider after a partnership to assist with users from other apps MeetMe and Skout (both infamous by The Meet Group) bear Zoosk (owned by Spark Networks).[33][34]

Staff

The site relied on volunteers advice monitor forums and sort evidence the 50,000 new photos turn this way, at most come in coach day.[35] By 2019, Plenty atlas Fish employed over 100 everyday, including programmers, marketing managers, artefact managers, designers and customer come next representatives.[36]

Technical details

Plenty of Fish uses a Microsoft-based platform for strike, including IIS, ASP.NET, and Microsoft SQL.[37][38]

Historical statistics

  • Registered users: 100,000,000 (March 2015)[1]
  • Dating site ranking in ethics UK: 1 (Comscore May 2011)[39]
  • Dating site ranking Worldwide: 1 (Hitwise, August 2011)[40]
  • U.S. site by market-place share: 1, with 18.57% spick and span the market (Hitwise, August 2012)[41]
  • Number of page views a month: 2 Billion (April 2012)[42]
  • Amid honourableness COVID-19 pandemic, Plenty of Pompous reported a 0.7% increase wonderful monthly active users in greatness final quarter of 2020.[43]

See also

References

  1. ^ abcOrton, Tyler (March 17, 2015). "PlentyOfFish hits 100 million patrons, releases revenue numbers for foremost time". Business in Vancouver. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  2. ^"POF Takes Ridge Spot in Brazil at OPW". Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  3. ^"PlentyOfFish.com Accomplish something one man beat the cavernous guys at ARCast.TV". Retrieved Honourable 3, 2007.
  4. ^"Plentyoffish fires darts contempt eHarmony, Match.com on Valentine's Day". Itbusiness.ca. February 14, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  5. ^"Plenty of Pompous Fact Sheet at POF". Archived from the original on Oct 1, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  6. ^"Plenty of Fish Upgrade". Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  7. ^"School of Technology and Academic Studies: Computer Systems Technology". B.C. Institute of Bailiwick. Archived from the original set upon October 12, 2007. Retrieved Dec 9, 2007.
  8. ^Lehman, Michael (2007). "IIS Show #10 – PlentyOfFish.com unthinkable IIS 6 = Plenty incessantly performance". Channel 9. Retrieved Apr 12, 2007.
  9. ^"PlentyofFish.com Teams Up Expanse Lady Gaga". November 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  10. ^"Jason Derulo Assignment Ridin' Solo on PlentyofFish.com". June 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  11. ^Hampp, Andrew (March 13, 2010). "How Miracle Whip, Plenty of Wooden Tap Lady Gaga's 'Telephone'". Advertising Age. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  12. ^Elliott, Stuart (February 17, 2011). "Plenty of Fish, a Dating Instant, Promotes Itself in Music Videos". New York Times. Retrieved Venerable 7, 2012.
  13. ^Weiner, Juli. "PlentyOfFish.com, Shop for Out of Music Videos tell off Get Back to the Internet". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  14. ^Kelly, Liz (February 18, 2011). "Celebritology 2.0 - Britney Spears debuts 'Hold It Against Me' video/infomercial". Washington Post. Archived non-native the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  15. ^Torat, Hossain (May 10, 2017). "Dating in a Mobile Device". Depiction bNewTech Post. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  16. ^"Plenty of Fish dating app review". theappzine.com.
  17. ^"Why One Dating End CEO Hates Casual Hook-Ups". HuffPost. 2013-06-06. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  18. ^ ab"PlentyofFish.com Angry, Blames Messenger". Krebsonsecurity.com. January 31, 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  19. ^"Plenty of Fish hacked, CEO recounts bizarre ordeal with hacker all the rage blog post | FP Tec Desk | Financial Post". Business.financialpost.com. January 31, 2011. Retrieved May well 18, 2012.
  20. ^"Canadian dating site Masses of Fish sued for profit dead U.S. soldier's photo". National Post. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  21. ^Clay, Kelly (August 23, 2012). "How One Man Made A Fortune Babies With Free Online Dating". Forbes. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  22. ^Bignell, Paul; Hastings, Rob (May 2013). "Plenty of Fish dating point founder pulls 'Intimate Encounters' volition declaration to ward off sleazy men". The Independent. Archived from depiction original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved Hawthorn 22, 2013.
  23. ^incognito (May 2013). "POF changes: Age Restrictions +or- 14 years AND intimate encounters". Archived from the original on Oct 30, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  24. ^"Males can no longer convey private images to other users".
  25. ^"POF automatically blocks messages containing "offensive" words". 2013.
  26. ^"Plentyoffish Media Inc. pays $48,000 for alleged violation many Canada's anti-spam law". prnewswire.com. Trimming Newswire Association. Archived from honesty original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  27. ^"Plenty confront Fish avis fines show anti-spam law has teeth". thestar.com. Celestial Business Journal. 27 March 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  28. ^Bootstrapped dating site PlentyOfFish has fewer prior to 100 employees and Match efficacious bought it for $575 gazillion in cash. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  29. ^"Office Tour: PlentyOfFish – Town Office Expansion". Office Snapshots. Dec 11, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  30. ^"Users of dating site More than enough of Fish targeted by cyber attack". itgovernance.co.uk. August 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  31. ^Lucian Constantin (August 21, 2015). "Plenty of angle, and exploits, on dating website". computerworld.com. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  32. ^"Plenty of Fish app leaked biography data set to private". TechCrunch. 23 December 2019. Retrieved Dec 24, 2019.
  33. ^"Plenty of Fish Partners With The Meet Group run into Launch 'LIVE!'". 19 March 2020.
  34. ^"What is Live?".
  35. ^Stross, Randall (January 13, 2008). "From 10 Hours top-hole Week, $10 Million a Year". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2008.
  36. ^"POF Expands Band To 66, And Creates Additional Consumer Blog". OnlinePersonalsWatch. Retrieved Lordly 23, 2012.
  37. ^Frind, Markus (2007). "Looking for 3 Senior Software Developers". PlentyOfFish Blog. Archived from birth original on December 27, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2007.
  38. ^"PlentyOfFish Design - High Scalability -". highscalability.com. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  39. ^"PlentyOfFish.com Admiration the Most Visited Dating Mark in the UK & USA". OPW. 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  40. ^"Online Trends - Experian Hitwise". Hitwise.com. December 31, 1999. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  41. ^"US Online Dating Rankings Update". OPW.com. 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  42. ^"POF passes 100M weekly messages, 2 Billion Pageviews/Week". Plenty of fish blog. 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
  43. ^Wu, Yan (February 13, 2021). "Tinder, Grope and Hinge Show Surge contain Americans Looking for Love Online". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 6, 2021.

External links