OkCupid

OkCupid was originally owned by Humor Rainbow, Inc. OkCupid's founders (Chris Coyne, Christian Rudder, Sam Yagan, and Max Krohn) were students at Harvard University when they gained recognition for their creation of TheSpark and, later, SparkNotes. Among other things, TheSpark.com featured a number of humorous self-quizzes and personality tests, including the four-variable Myers-Briggs style Match Test. SparkMatch debuted as a beta experiment of allowing registered users who had taken the Match Test to search for and contact each other based on their Match Test types. The popularity of SparkMatch took off and it was launched as its own site, later renamed OkCupid. In 2001, they sold SparkNotes to Barnes & Noble, and began work on OkCupid.{{cite web |url=http://www.okcupid.com/about-us.html |title=About Us |publisher=OkCupid.com |access-date=2011-05-23}}

In November 2007, OkCupid launched Crazy Blind Date,{{cite web |url=http://www.crazyblinddate.com |title=CrazyBlindDate.com |publisher=CrazyBlindDate.com |access-date=2011-05-23}}{{cite web |author=Mark Hendrickson Nov 6, 2007 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/11/06/meet-potential-lovers-over-a-drink-with-crazyblinddate |title=Meet Potential Lovers Over a Drink with CrazyBlindDate - TechCrunch, Nov 06, 2006 |publisher=Techcrunch.com |date=2007-11-06 |access-date=2011-05-23}}{{cite news |first=Meredith |last=Goldstein |title=The website Crazy Blind Dates give you dates on demand |url=http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2008/01/15/dates_on_demand/ |work=The Boston Globe |date=2008-01-15 |access-date=10 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223083054/http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2008/01/15/dates_on_demand/ |url-status=live |archive-date=2009-12-23 }} a no-cost dating service that set people up on blind dates with little to no notice.{{cite news|first=Wade |last=Roush |title=Two New Sites to Ease Your Way Through Dating Hell |url=http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2007/11/16/two-new-sites-to-ease-your-way-through-dating-hell/ |work=Xconomy |date=2007-11-16 |access-date=10 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213184940/http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2007/11/16/two-new-sites-to-ease-your-way-through-dating-hell/ |archive-date=2010-12-13 |url-status=dead }} The site served people in Boston, San Francisco, Austin, New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.{{cite news |first=Sarah |last=Netter |title=Your Best Bet for Love? Timing |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/Story?id=4274238&page=1 |work=ABC News |date=2008-02-12 |access-date=10 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080623021557/https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=4274238&page=1 |url-status=live |archive-date=2008-06-23 }} Daters would complete an optional questionnaire about their availability, preferred neighborhood for dates and their preferred type of date. They would meet up at an agreed upon location without knowing how their date would look ahead of time.{{cite news |first=Katia |last=Bachko |title=Dating site is mostly random — but it's fast |url=http://www.projo.com/lifebeat/content/lb_crazy_blind_date_cns_03-16-08_AC98PO1_v13.1bb6148.html |work=Columbia News Service |date=2008-03-16 |access-date=10 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604040324/http://www.projo.com/lifebeat/content/lb_crazy_blind_date_cns_03-16-08_AC98PO1_v13.1bb6148.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-06-04 }} In April 2010, Time Out reported that the website was under construction for updates, but would remain free once it resumed operation.{{cite news|title=The 'Date' in Dating Website |author=Williams, Allison |newspaper=Time Out |date=2010-04-01 |url=http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/sex-dating/84226/how-about-we-dating-website |access-date=2010-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604191414/http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/sex-dating/84226/how-about-we-dating-website |archive-date=2010-06-04 |url-status=dead }} In 2013, it was relaunched and integrated into the OkCupid platform as an app for iPhone and Android devices.{{cite news |title=OKCupid 'Crazy Blind Date' App Relaunches |author=Meredith, Leslie |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/16/okcupid-crazy-blind-date-relaunch_n_2488752.html |newspaper=TechNewsDaily |date=2013-01-16 |access-date=2013-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308023751/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/16/okcupid-crazy-blind-date-relaunch_n_2488752.html |archive-date=2013-03-08 }}

In 2008, OkCupid spun off its test-design portion under the name Hello Quizzy (HQ), while keeping it inextricably linked to OkCupid and reserving existent OkCupid users' names on HQ.{{cite web |url=http://HelloQuizzy.com |title=Hello Quizzy |publisher=Hello Quizzy |access-date=2011-05-23}} However, the original Dating Persona Test has since been removed.

Since August 2009, an "A-list" account option is available to users of OkCupid and provides additional services for monthly fees.{{cite web |url=http://www.okcupid.com/upgrade?cf=noads |title=OkCupid.com |publisher=OkCupid.com |access-date=2011-05-23}}

In February 2011, OkCupid was acquired by IAC/InterActiveCorp, operators of Match.com, for US$50 million.{{cite news |url=http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2011/02/02/little-rock-native-christian-rudder-sells-company-to-matchcom-for-50-million |title=Little Rock native Christian Rudder sells company to Match.com for $50 million |work=Arkansas Times |date=Feb 2, 2011 |access-date=April 1, 2012}} Editorial posts from 2010 by an OkCupid founder in which Match.com and pay-dating were criticized for exploiting users and being "fundamentally broken" were removed from the OkCupid blog at the time of the acquisition.{{cite web |url=http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/why-you-should-never-pay-for-online-dating/ |title=Why You Should Never Pay For Online Dating " OkTrends |first=Christian |last=Rudder |work=waybackmachine.org |date=2010-04-07 |access-date=10 April 2011 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006104124/http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/why-you-should-never-pay-for-online-dating/ |archive-date=October 6, 2010}} In a press response, OkCupid's CEO explained that the removal was voluntary.{{cite web |url=http://www.observer.com/2011/tech/okcupid-we-didnt-censor-our-matchcom-bashing-blog-post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204185529/http://www.observer.com/2011/tech/okcupid-we-didnt-censor-our-matchcom-bashing-blog-post |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-02-04 |title=OkCupid: We Didn't Censor Our Match.com-Bashing Blog Post | The New York Observer |first=Adrianne |last=Jeffries |work=New York Observer |date=2011-02-02 |access-date=10 April 2011}}

In November 2012, OkCupid launched the social discovery service Tallygram,{{cite web |url=http://www.onlinepersonalswatch.com/news/2012/11/okcupid-has-launched-social-discovery-service-tallygram.html |title=OkCupid Has Launched Social Discovery Service Tallygram |publisher=OnlinePersonalsWatch |access-date=2012-11-09}} but retired the service in April 2013.{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/16/tallygram-okcupids-foray-into-friend-finding-on-facebook-hits-the-deadpool/ |title=Tallygram, OkCupid's Foray Into Friend Finding On Facebook, Hits The Deadpool |date=16 April 2013 |publisher=TechCrunch |access-date=2013-04-16}}

On March 31, 2014, any user accessing OkCupid from the web browser Firefox was presented with a message asking users to boycott Firefox due to Mozilla Corporation's new CEO Brendan Eich's support of Proposition 8. Users were asked instead to consider other browsers.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26830383 |title=BBC News - OkCupid seeks to block Mozilla Firefox over gay rights |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2014-04-01 |access-date=2014-04-01}}{{cite news |first=Ian |last=Johnston |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/online-dating-site-okcupid-calls-for-firefox-boycott-to-protest-at-antigay-marriage-boss-9226904.html |title=OkCupid calls for Firefox boycott to protest anti-gay marriage CEO Brendan Eich - News - Gadgets & Tech |work=The Independent |date=2014-03-19 |access-date=2014-04-01 |location=London}}{{cite news |first=Kim |last=Bellware |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/31/okcupid-mozilla_n_5065743.html |title=OkCupid Publicly Rips Mozilla: 'We Wish Them Nothing But Failure' |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |access-date=2014-04-01}} On April 2, 2014, the dating site revoked the Firefox ban.{{cite web |title=OkCupid pulls Firefox boycott letter |url=http://www.cnet.com/news/okcupid-pulls-firefox-blocker/ |access-date=3 April 2014}}{{cite news |title=OkCupid Lifts Firefox Ban After Getting A Lift From It |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2014/04/02/okcupid-lifts-firefox-ban-after-getting-a-lift-from-it/ |access-date=3 April 2014 |work=Forbes |first=Jeff |last=Bercovici}}

The website added a bevy of nontraditional profile options for users to express their gender identity and sexuality in late 2014. These options—which included asexual, genderfluid, pansexual, sapiosexual, and transgender categories—were added to make the website more inclusive.{{Cite web |last1=North |first1=Anna |title=How OkCupid Has Become More Inclusive on Gender and Sexuality |work=The New York Times |date=2014-11-19 |url=https://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/how-okcupid-has-become-more-inclusive-on-gender-and-sexuality/ |access-date=2017-10-15 |df=mdy-all }} Through this addition, OkCupid popularized the concept of "sapiosexuality", meaning romance or sexual attraction based on intellectual, rather than physical, traits.{{Cite news |last1=North |first1=Anna |title=The Hottest Body Part? For a Sapiosexual, It's the Brain |work=The New York Times |date=2017-06-02 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/nyregion/the-hottest-body-part-for-a-sapiosexual-its-the-brain.html |issn=0362-4331 |df=mdy-all }} OkCupid removed the Sapiosexual identity on February 11, 2019,{{cite web |url=https://help.okcupid.com/article/208-gender-and-orientation-on-okcupid |title=Gender and Orientation on OkCupid |publisher=OkCupid.com |access-date=2020-12-24 |archive-date=2021-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127234747/https://help.okcupid.com/article/208-gender-and-orientation-on-okcupid |url-status=dead }} following considerable negative feedback, specifically quoting an article on Vice Magazine.{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/sapiosexuals-people-who-only-have-sex-with-smart-people/ |title=People Who Only Want to Fuck Smart People Created Their Own 'Sexual Orientation'|date=6 December 2016 }}

In January 2018, OkCupid appointed Ariel Charytan, who was formerly senior vice president of audiobook and podcast company Audible, as CEO.{{Cite news|last=Brooks|first=Amber|date=2018-05-29|title=Ariel Charytan: OkCupid's New CEO Has a Distinguished Track Record of Entrepreneurism & Leadership|url=https://www.datingnews.com/movers-and-shakers/okcupid-ceo-ariel-charytan-has-a-distinguished-record-of-entrepreneurism/|access-date=2021-08-19|website=DatingNews.com|language=en-US}}

In September 2018, OkCupid became the first dating app to create a dedicated space on profiles for LGBTQ daters to share their pronouns, and expanded that feature to all users in July 2020.{{Cite web|last=Locker|first=Melissa|date=2018-09-11|title=OkCupid launches a pronoun feature to better serve gender non-conforming users|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90235063/okcupid-launches-a-pronoun-feature-to-better-serve-gender-non-conforming-users|access-date=2021-08-19|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Wynne|first=Griffin|date=2020-07-06|title=OkCupid Is Encouraging All Users to Share Their Pronouns (and It's About Damn Time)|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/a33217896/okcupid-pronoun-feature-launch-2020/|access-date=2021-08-19|website=Cosmopolitan|language=en-US}}

In June 2020, OkCupid released a feature “stacks” that allows app users to view and sort matches based on categories including nearby, online, questions pros, recommended and match percentage. Paid users can additionally sort by new or popular people.{{Cite web|last=Carson|first=Erin|title=OkCupid's mobile redesign gives daters a new way to sort through profiles|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/okcupids-mobile-redesign-gives-daters-a-new-way-to-sort-through-profiles/|access-date=2021-08-19|website=CNET|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Lewinski|first=John Scott|title=Social Media App OKCupid Debuts New Matching System For Online Dating|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnscottlewinski/2020/07/31/social-media-app-okcupid-debuts-new-matching-system-for-online-dating/|access-date=2021-08-19|website=Forbes|language=en}}

In May 2021, the company launched a monthly blog series, called Dating Data Center, which shared data from OkCupid matching questions and responses. In that same month, OkCupid found that daters, coming out of the 2019 Coronavirus Pandemic, were looking for long-term relationships, negating the commonly held theories of a “hot vaxxed summer” (a play on Megan Thee Stallion single Hot Girl Summer) in which daters were looking exclusively for casual relationships.{{Cite web|last=Iovine|first=Anna|date=2021-05-11|title=Young people don't actually want a 'hot vaxxed summer'|url=https://mashable.com/article/post-pandemic-dating-sex-dating-app-survey|access-date=2021-08-20|website=Mashable|language=en}} In June 2021, OkCupid expanded identity options for LGBTQ+ users, with more than 60 identity options, including 20 sexual orientations and 22 gender options.{{Cite web|title=This Pride month OkCupid releases over 60 identities for LGBTQ+ users|url=https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/brands/news/this-pride-month-okcupid-releases-over-60-identities-for-lgbtq-users/articleshow/83803061.cms|access-date=2021-08-20|website=Business Insider}}{{Cite web|last=Carson|first=Erin|title=OkCupid offers LGBTQ daters more ways to identify themselves|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/okcupid-offers-lgbtq-daters-more-ways-to-identify-themselves/|access-date=2021-08-20|website=CNET|language=en}}

Despite being a platform designed to be less centered on physical appearance, OkCupid co-founder Christian Rudder stated in 2009 that the male OkCupid users who were rated most physically attractive by female OkCupid users received 11 times as many messages as the lowest-rated male users did, the medium-rated male users received about four times as many messages, and the one-third of female users who were rated most physically attractive by the male users received about two-thirds of all messages sent by male users.{{cite journal|last=Julian|first=Kate|title=Why Are Young People Having So Little Sex?|journal=The Atlantic|publisher=Emerson Collective|date=December 2018|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/12/the-sex-recession/573949/|access-date=November 17, 2018}} Additionally, a study published in the August 2018 edition of Science Advances by researchers at the University of Michigan and the Santa Fe Institute found that users of an unnamed, popular, and free online dating service in New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Seattle typically pursued potential partners ranked on average 25 percent more desirable than they were (as measured by the PageRank algorithm).{{cite journal|last1=Bruch|first1=Elizabeth E.|last2=Newman|first2=M. E. J.|title=Aspirational pursuit of mates in online dating markets|journal=Science Advances|publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science|date=August 8, 2018|volume=4|issue=8|pages=eaap9815|doi=10.1126/sciadv.aap9815|pmid=30101188|pmc=6082652|arxiv=1808.04840|bibcode=2018SciA....4.9815B|s2cid=51956908|doi-access=free}} Coupled with data released by the dating app Tinder showing that only 26 million of the 1.6 billion swipes that the app records per day actually result in matches (despite users spending on average about an hour and a half per day on the app), an article published in the December 2018 issue of The Atlantic concluded "Unless you are exceptionally good-looking, the thing online dating may be best at is sucking up large amounts of time."

In 2014, OkCupid revealed in a blog post that experiments were routinely conducted on OkCupid users. The site revealed that one experiment included removing users' profile pictures on January 15, 2013 ("Love is Blind Day") and analyzed user responses to messages, conversations, and contact details. When the photos were restored, users who had started "blind" conversations gradually began tapering off their conversations, leading OkCupid's CEO Christian Rudder to remark "it was like we'd turned on the bright lights at the bar at midnight".{{Cite news|url=https://theblog.okcupid.com/we-experiment-on-human-beings-5dd9fe280cd5|title=We Experiment On Human Beings! – The OkCupid Blog|date=2014-07-28|work=The OkCupid Blog|access-date=2018-04-24}} In a separate A/B test, OkCupid used a placebo number instead of users' true match percentage. The results suggested that doing this caused users, who were "bad matches" under the original algorithm, to actually like each other: "When we tell people they are a good match, they act as if they are."{{cite web |first1=Christian |last1=Rudder |title=We Experiment On Human Beings! |url=http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/we-experiment-on-human-beings/ |website=OkTrends |publisher=Humor Rainbow, Inc |access-date=17 August 2014 |date=28 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123110808/http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/we-experiment-on-human-beings/ |archive-date=23 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}

From Rudder’s perspective, it would have been unethical not to experiment on users:

I think part of what's confusing people about this experiment is the result ... this is the only way to find this stuff out [what actually works for a dating site], if you guys have an alternative to the scientific method I'm all ears.{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/@JamesGrimmelmann/illegal-unethical-and-mood-altering-8b93af772688|title=Illegal, Immoral, and Mood-Altering|last=Grimmelmann|first=James|date=2014-09-23|website=James Grimmelmann|access-date=2018-04-24}}

In May 2016, a team of Danish researchers have made publicly available the "OkCupid dataset" project, containing (as of May 2016) 2,620 variables describing 68,371 users on OkCupid for research purposes (e.g., for psychologists investigating the social psychology of dating).{{Cite web|url=https://osf.io/p9ixw/|title=OSF {{!}} The OkCupid dataset: A very large public dataset of dating site users|website=osf.io|access-date=2016-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513081923/https://osf.io/p9ixw/|archive-date=2016-05-13|url-status=dead}} The data release spurred criticism,{{cite magazine |last1=Zimmer |first1=Michael |title=OkCupid Study Reveals the Perils of Big-Data Science |url=https://www.wired.com/2016/05/okcupid-study-reveals-perils-big-data-science/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=31 May 2016}} and an investigation by the Danish Data Protection Authority.{{cite web |last1=Cox |first1=Joseph |title=Danish Authorities Investigate OkCupid Data Dump |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/danish-authorities-investigate-okcupid-data-dump/ |website=Motherboard |date=31 May 2016 |access-date=31 May 2016}}

In December 2017, OkCupid rolled out a change that would require users to provide their real first name in place of a pseudonym as was previously encouraged. Although the company explained this badly, and quickly had to explain that a full name wasn't needed, and that nicknames or initials would be acceptable,{{Cite web|url=https://theblog.okcupid.com/an-open-letter-on-why-were-removing-usernames-addressed-to-the-worst-ones-we-ve-ever-seen-dd017c75d49a|title=An Open Letter on Why We're Removing Usernames, Addressed to the Worst Ones We've Ever Seen|last=OkCupid|date=2017-12-21|website=The OkCupid Blog|access-date=2017-12-23}} the announcement was received with widespread criticism and condemnation for potentially raising the risk of harassment of individuals, especially women and minorities,{{Cite news|url=https://gizmodo.com/okcupids-new-real-name-policy-is-dumb-1821535975|title=OkCupid's New Real Name Policy Is Dumb|last=Conger|first=Kate|work=Gizmodo|access-date=2017-12-23|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=This Popular Dating Site Is Getting Rid of Usernames|url=https://www.thecut.com/2017/12/okcupid-username-policy-change-removal.html|last=Ryan|first=Lisa|date=2017-12-22|website=The Cut|language=en-us|access-date=2020-05-28}} to doxing.{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/okcupid-wants-everyone-to-use-real-names-and-users-are-pissed/|title=OkCupid Wants Everyone to Use Real Names and Users are Pissed|date=2017-12-22|work=Motherboard|access-date=2017-12-23|language=en-us}} It was pointed out that, unlike other dating sites that encourage the use of first names, OkCupid "encourages long profiles full of intimate details, including candid answers to questions about sex and politics", making connecting that information with a real name more problematic to users.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/22/16810128/okcupid-remove-usernames-real-name-policy|title=OKCupid will make people use real names on their dating profiles|work=The Verge|access-date=2017-12-23}}

In 2017 OkCupid reported on Twitter that they had removed Christopher Cantwell's user profile for being a white supremacist after a woman reported receiving a message from him. This raised questions from some users who wondered about the ease with which the company could eliminate users from its platform.{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/before-getting-banned-from-okcupid-white-supremacist-c-1797949753|title=Before Getting Banned From OkCupid, White Supremacist Chris Cantwell Wrote Tips for Dating Online|last=Brown|first=Jennings|date=August 17, 2017|website=Gizmodo|access-date=August 18, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2017/08/17/okcupid-white-supremacist-chris-cantwell/|title=Dating Site OkCupid Just Banned This White Supremacist 'For Life'|last=Zorthian|first=Julia|date=August 17, 2017|access-date=August 18, 2017|magazine=Fortune}}{{cite web|url=https://qz.com/1055141/what-websites-and-apps-have-banned-neo-nazis-and-white-supremacists/|title=A running list of websites and apps that have banned, blocked, deleted, and otherwise dropped white supremacists|last=Collins|first=Keith|date=August 16, 2017|work=Quartz|access-date=August 18, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/the-conversation/sd-kkk-dailystormer-white-supremacists-denied-20170816-htmlstory.html|title=OkCupid, Facebook, PayPal, Spotify are banning white supremacists|last=Gomez|first=Luis|date=August 16, 2017|newspaper=U-T San Diego|access-date=August 18, 2017}}

Clarifai, an A.I. start-up, built a face database with images from OkCupid, due to common founders in both companies.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/13/technology/databases-faces-facial-recognition-technology.html|title=Facial Recognition Tech Is Growing Stronger, Thanks to Your Face|last=Metz|first=Cade|date=2019-07-13|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-07-15|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}

A February 2019 report alleged that many users reported lost access to their accounts in a manner consistent with either a data breach or a widespread "credential stuffing" incident. "Credential stuffing" describes using passwords stolen from one service (like another dating site) to attack another service, on the assumption that many people will reuse passwords across websites. OkCupid denied any data breach or system errors.{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/10/okcupid-account-hacks/|title=Users complain of account hacks, but OkCupid denies a data breach|work=TechCrunch|access-date=2019-02-10}}

OkCupid claimed 3.5 million active users as of September 2010. According to Compete.com, the website attracted 1.3 million unique visitors in February 2011.{{cite web |url=http://siteanalytics.compete.com/okcupid.com/ |title=okcupid.com's (rank #1,483) Site Profile | Compete |publisher=Siteanalytics.compete.com |access-date=2011-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109051718/http://siteanalytics.compete.com/okcupid.com/ |archive-date=2011-01-09 |url-status=dead }}

Any adult may join the site and all users may communicate with others via private messages or an instant messaging "chat" function. OkCupid was the first major dating site to offer unlimited messaging free of charge,{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} although this was limited in late 2017 when OkCupid's official blog announced the site is "getting rid of open-messaging" and making sent messages invisible to the sender until the recipient interacts by either matching or replying to the message. {{Cite news|url=https://theblog.okcupid.com/why-okcupid-is-changing-how-you-message-f14d492e7853|title=Why OkCupid is changing how you message – The OkCupid Blog|date=2017-12-11|work=The OkCupid Blog|access-date=2017-12-17}}{{Cite web |title=Why OkCupid hides someone after you send an introductory message to them - OkCupid Dating App Help Page |url=https://help.okcupid.com/article/169-why-okcupid-hides-someone-after-you-send-an-introductory-message-to-them |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=help.okcupid.com}} Recipients will be able to read their messages (from people within their preference settings that have not already been passed) before a match by way of an "Intro" tab. All messages under that tab are blurry and must be processed one at a time. {{Cite web |title=Intros! - OkCupid Dating App Help Page |url=https://help.okcupid.com/article/209-intros |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=help.okcupid.com}} The term "A-List" to describe paying members was updated to "Basic" and "Premium" services. People who pay for access will see no advertising and will have an unlimited ability to "Like" other profiles. Those paying for Premium have the additional option of being able to see the list of names for people who have liked them.{{Cite web |title=Paid Features and Subscriptions on OkCupid - OkCupid Dating App Help Page |url=https://help.okcupid.com/article/79-paid-features |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=help.okcupid.com |archive-date=2022-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303054935/https://help.okcupid.com/article/79-paid-features |url-status=dead }}

In early May 2020, OKCupid removed the match search function for some users, including all those in Australia and including A-list subscribers. Following complaints, it has had to reimburse Australian users but, regardless of past complaints, implemented the removal for all users in July 2020.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, OkCupid reported a 23.4% decrease in monthly active users in the final quarter of 2020.{{Cite news|last=Wu|first=Yan|date=2021-02-13|title=Tinder, Bumble and Hinge Show Surge in Americans Looking for Love Online|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/tinder-bumble-and-hinge-show-surge-in-americans-looking-for-love-online-11613246400|access-date=2021-03-06|issn=0099-9660}}

To generate matches, OkCupid applies data generated by users' activities on the site,{{cite web |url=http://www.okcupid.com/faq |title=Help Topics |publisher=OkCupid |access-date=2011-05-23}} as well as their answers to questions. Over 4000 questions can be answered and the company suggest answering between 50 and 100 to get started.{{cite web |title=All about Match Questions - OkCupid Help |url=https://help.okcupid.com/article/193-all-about-match-questions |website=help.okcupid.com |access-date=2021-07-07 |archive-date=2021-07-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185347/https://help.okcupid.com/article/193-all-about-match-questions |url-status=dead }} When answering a question, a user indicates their own answer, the answers they would accept from partners, and the level of importance they place on the question. The results of these questions can be hidden, or made visible to other users. OkCupid describes in generic terms the algorithm used to calculate match percentages.{{Cite web |title=How Match % is calculated - OkCupid Dating App Help Page |url=https://help.okcupid.com/article/128-how-is-match-calculated |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=help.okcupid.com |archive-date=2022-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303054935/https://help.okcupid.com/article/128-how-is-match-calculated |url-status=dead }} All users are notified of a match, with paying subscribers receiving the user name along with the notification. Subscribers who pay for the "Premium" level of service will also see the profile name if someone "Likes" that user. {{Cite web |title=Paid Features and Subscriptions on OkCupid - OkCupid Dating App Help Page |url=https://help.okcupid.com/article/79-paid-features |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=help.okcupid.com |archive-date=2022-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303054935/https://help.okcupid.com/article/79-paid-features |url-status=dead }} Match percentage is determined by match questions you've answered, how important users marked them, age, location, gender, orientation, and other factors listed in their "Preferences". Even if someone has answered little or no match questions, they may still see a high percentage match with them if their other preferences align with one another.

There is no function to remove answers to Questions, they can only be modified. Nor is there a way to bulk reset all answers before account deletion. This may cause privacy problems for users who wish to leave an empty account before they delete it to avoid it being used for data monetization by OkCupid. However, user commented questions are listed under "EXPLAINED" which makes it possible to manually delete the comments.

{{Portal|Internet|Human sexuality|Society}}

• Bye Felipe
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{{Reflist|30em}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{Cite web |last1=Buchanan |first1=Rose Troup |title=Sapiosexual? OkCupid expands options available to members for sexual |work=The Independent |date=2014-11-17 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/sapiosexual-okcupid-expands-options-available-to-members-for-sexual-orientation-and-gender-9865007.html |access-date=2017-10-15 |df=mdy-all }}
• {{Cite web |last1=Bussel |first1=Rachel Kramer |title=Smart is the new sexy: The stunning, welcome rise of 'sapiosexuality' |work=Salon |date=2015-09-20 |url=https://www.salon.com/2015/09/21/sapiosexuality_is_smart_the_new_sexy_partner/ |access-date=2017-10-15 |df=mdy-all }}
• {{Cite web |last1=Gander |first1=Kashmira |title=There's a new sexuality for people who are attracted to intelligence |work=The Independent |date=2016-12-07 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/what-is-sapiosexuality-the-sexual-orientation-thousands-of-people-identify-with-a7460121.html |access-date=2017-10-15 |df=mdy-all }}
• {{Cite web |last1=Larbi |first1=Miranda |title=The founders of a sapiosexual dating app want you to know a couple of things |work=Metro |date=2016-12-16 |url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/12/16/here-is-what-sapiosexuals-wants-you-to-know-about-the-term-6325441/ |access-date=2017-10-15 |df=mdy-all }}
• {{Cite web |last1=Larbi |first1=Miranda |title=Sapiosexuals are people who only want to have sex with other smart people |work=Metro |date=2016-12-08 |url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/12/08/sapiosexuals-are-people-who-only-want-to-have-sex-with-other-smart-people-and-theyre-pretentious-at-best-6307815/ |access-date=2017-10-15 |df=mdy-all }}
• {{Cite web |last1=Raab |first1=Diana |title=Sapiosexuality: What Attracts You to the Opposite Sex? |work=Psychology Today |date=2014-08-26 |url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-empowerment-diary/201408/sapiosexuality-what-attracts-you-the-opposite-sex |access-date=2017-10-15 |df=mdy-all }}
• {{Cite web |last1=Timpf |first1=Katherine |title='Sapiosexual' Deemed New 'Uber-Trendy Sexual Orientation' |work=National Review |date=2015-04-21 |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/417246/sapiosexual-deemed-new-uber-trendy-sexual-orientation-katherine-timpf |access-date=2017-10-15 |df=mdy-all }}
• {{Cite web |last1=Ulaby |first1=Neda |title=Sapiosexual Seeks Same: A New Lexicon Enters Online Dating Mainstream |work=NPR |date=2014-12-04 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2014/12/04/368441691/sapiosexual-seeks-same-a-new-lexicon-enters-online-dating-mainstream |access-date=2017-10-15 |df=mdy-all }}
• {{Cite web |title=What exactly is sapiosexuality? |work=The Daily Dot |date=2017-07-11 |url=https://www.dailydot.com/irl/what-is-sapiosexual/ |access-date=2017-10-15 |df=mdy-all }}

{{refend}}

• {{Official website|www.okcupid.com}}

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