White House Taps Tinder And Other Dating Apps To Promote COVID-19 Vaccine

The Biden administration has turned to popular dating apps in its latest effort to incentivize the COVID-19 vaccine, demand for which is dipping in the US. In a press briefing on Friday, the White House revealed that several major dating platforms that collectively have around 50 million users will start offering perks for people who have been vaccinated.

The new incentives arrive at Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid, Match, Chispa, BLK, Plenty of Fish, and Badoo starting today, according to the latest White House press briefing. As part of this effort, these dating platforms will allow vaccinated users to display a badge on their profile showing that they've been vaccinated against COVID-19.

As well, these platforms plan a variety of features for users who are vaccinated, only some of which were revealed. For example, these platforms will allow vaccinated users to filter their match results so that only other vaccinated people show up.

The White House suggested that other premium features will be made available to vaccinated users, such as things like 'boosts and super swipes,' but the press briefing didn't go into details about these perks — which will, presumably, vary based on the platform you use.

The incentive is likely to prove popular as many people return to normal life and seek out companionship that was sorely lacking last year. The badge, as well as vaccination filters, will make it easier for users to match with other people they can feel safe around, though it remains unclear how these platforms may verify that a user is truthful about their vaccination status.