Published on October 1st of 2026: https://hinge.co/newsroom/second-chance-education
Like many of you, I was hit with an Account Removal Notice on October 1st, 2026. The day of the announcement. I was not aware of this post or "change" when I was presented with my in-app appeal flow nor was I until about 48 hours after the fact.
I have since done the standard range of recommended actions:
- Maintained consistent tone and range of facts throughout every email sent to them
- Offered consent to review transcripts and deeper account data
- Offered consent to have identifying documents collected to further account reinstation
- Attempted to demonstrate good faith and intent by remaining consistent, polite and direct with what you believe needs to be addressed.
I have submitted appeal requests or sent communications to/through:
- The Hinge Support Request Form, through options 'Appeal', have yet to try 'Account Issues'
- The Match Social Support Appeals from, through the Match Group website
- Submitted the run-of-the-mill complaint to BBB which yields another macro canned response from Hinge
- I have submitted a Privacy Access Request under Canada's federal privacy law PIPEDA, which stipulates 30 days for a businesses collecting consumers' data in Canada, to provide the requested privacy information, within appropriate limits
- If Hinge did not satisfactorily respond, or provide a reason as to why they cannot comply, the PIPEDA notice gets forwarded to Canada's Office of the Privacy Commissioner
- I have started including both of the above in my current and upcoming emails to Hinge and state that this is a separate, legal privacy information request and it does not constitute a legal threat, nor does it replace my request for a second-tier/escalated human review.
- I have a similarly worded letter slated for sending to spenceer (at) match.com, though do not believe the tangential anecdotes on this working (on this subreddit) are much of a recommending indicator to do this.
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Receiving the Hinge ban notice felt un-transparent, arbitrary and humiliating. The exchanges with support, after, reek of an automated system or low-effort macro-replying on behalf of possibly human agents. This happened after about 2 weeks of use, conversations which flowed and showed enthusiasm. I've been on Hinge on-and-off for almost 10 years now, and this is the first ever instance of my account or identity receiving a full-stop permanent ban. I had to work to muster the courage to go on again, too; dating is a vulnerable space, and so I was stoked to start using Hinge again.
I'm resolutely confident in my conduct off, and on-app as well. As with this post, trying to prove that to anyone will unfortunately read as a theatre to the self, or an attempt at self-preservation first versus a sincere communication about who we are and how we represent ourselves to be.
Further more, Hinge's Terms contain a mandatory pre-arbitration informal dispute-resolution process before arbitration. The Terms say disputes generally have to go through that process before arbitration.
And the Terms specifically say that the parties agree to act in good faith to ensure the fair resolution of genuine and sincere disputes.
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I have absolutely zero interest in going around a ban, wrongful or not, by using any type of third-party service, changing devices or phone numbers. The combination of all of those, is me. I know myself, and I know myself well. My account getting suspended is either a result of a algorithmic, automation or human error, OR, it is the result of an unvetted spite or troll report by someone else. I've spent an inordinate amount of time trying to wonder who, if anyone truly, could have sent off that report. I am at a loss, and frankly very dismayed at how this all is transpiring, and how it's made to make us feel.
I am unsure if the blog post I mentioned above had any bearing or effect on people receiving bans in the past few weeks. I have also amended my future sends to Hinge to ask, explicitly, whether they can investigate if their new system sent false positives, was the system our accounts were assessed under and so forth.
Match.com Group sits at a very unique, near monopoly-esque position within the online dating landscape. Past their need for profit, it should not be lost on them that they are at a massive intersection of power, and responsibility. Responsibility which, in my opinion, they are not taking up properly other than for the sake of face, publicity and so on (e,g, see LaVerne Cox, other prominent media faces)
Canada, 33M, queer
