The League (Dating App)

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The League
Logo.png
League.png
Interface of the Application site
Type Dating Application
Launch Date January 17, 2015
Status Active
Product Line The League
Platform iOS, Android
Website http://www.theleague.com/

The League is a mobile dating application that was launched in 2015 by developer Amanda Bradford. As a members-only application, users must submit a request to be admitted to the dating app. With the intention of attracting only “professionals” to the app, your acceptance and match is solely based on your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles. Users may be subject a long wait-list before admittance onto the app. The app has potential ethical concerns regarding the criteria for acceptance, particularly why one professional could be chosen over another. Additionally, it faces ethical backlash for being upholding 'elitist' or classicist values.


History

The dating application was founded in 2014 by Amanda Bradford, who thought of the idea after being frustrated by her own online dating experience. Bradford states [1] that one of her models is the Soho House, the members-only social club that opened in London and then went to different cities. Similarly, The League first started in San Fransisco in 2015 and has now debuted in 21 cities across the nation, with the most recent launch in Detroit, Michigan.


Process

A user can either apply to the dating app through a referral or without a referral. With a referral from a friend, a user is able to skip the application process. Otherwise, a user can sign up for the app and then be placed on a wait-list. The application then scan’s an applicant’s Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to analyze their “personality.” Education, profession, and age are some of the important factors included in the selection process.

A user can choose certain preferences for their matches, such as location, education, and height

Once admitted off the wait-list, a user can sync their Facebook and LinkedIn accounts to create their profile. They are then prompted to select their preferences for matches, which include gender, location proximity, height, education level, religion and ethnicity. Similar to other dating application, a user is given matches and then prompted to swipe right to “match” or swipe left to “pass.” Unlike other apps, the League only gives you 3-5 matches per day, depending on which subscription you have.


Controversy & Ethical Implications

Selection Process

There have been many press accusations of the dating app being racist due to its selection process. Because the app requires the user to submit his or her race, the application has been critisized for being one of the only dating applications that has this requirement. Developer and CEO Amanda Bradford claims [2] that the ethnicity data is important to help the site be more inclusive by welcoming all diversities. However, many still criticize the ability to filter our non-white users when searching for people to date[3].

Elitism

In addition, the app’s selective process of being only for “elite” members has also been of concern to many. While The League determines your acceptance based on your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, some consider the app to be “unethical” in the way it determines who gets let in, as it could be true that members will higher levels of education and profession are accepted.

Additionally, since each member can give a referral ticket, this person can bypass the wait-list and become a full-fledged member. This can be seen as elitist, and limiting to Bradford's mission of creating a professional and diverse dating experience if many of the users are friends. Further, the app only accepts 10 to 20% of those who sign up, didn't allow members under 40 until May of 2016 [4], and the has a demographic that is 95% heterosexual and 99% college-educated[5].

The League's new monochrome profile

Monochrome Profiles

In October 2017, The League launched its “monochrome” profile, making each user’s first profile picture black and white. The reason for doing so has been said to urge users to make more “holistic” decisions when making a match. While it might be easier for people to make judgments based on the appearance of their picture, it may be harder to do so when the photo appears in black and white.

When A/B tests were conducted [6]before the change, users spent twice as long looking at a match’s profile when the picture appeared in monochrome. Therefore, the application hopes that making this change will urge users to spend more time looking at someone’s interests and profession as opposed to just their picture.

References

  1. Haber, Matt. "The League, aDating App for Would-Be Power Couples." The New York Times. 23 January 2015.
  2. Encalada, Debbie. "New Elite Dating App is Racist." Complex. 26 January 2015.
  3. Biddle, Sam. "Dating App CEO: I'm Not an Elitist, Just an Asshole". 21 October 2015.
  4. Wells, Georgia. "Dating Apps Court Older, Wealthier Users". Wall Street Journal. 12 October 2016.
  5. Sola, Katie. "Dating App Data Reveals What Successful Men And Women Really Want". Forbes. 24 August 2016.
  6. Tepper, Fitz. "The League is making everyone’s first profile picture black and white"Tech Crunch. 24 October 2017.