Six women who say they were drugged and sexually assaulted by a former Colorado cardiologist have filed a civil lawsuit against Match Group, the parent company of Tinder and Hinge, accusing the dating platforms of negligence and of enabling sexual predators. The case was filed in Denver district court, according to The Guardian.
The complaint alleges that Match Group failed to act decisively despite receiving multiple reports that Stephen Matthews, a Denver-based cardiologist, had drugged and raped women he met through Hinge. The plaintiffs claim that even after the company assured users Matthews had been “permanently banned”, his profile either remained active or resurfaced, allowing him to continue matching with women.
The lawsuit argues that the platforms became a “breeding ground for sexual predators” by permitting known offenders to stay active without adequate safeguards or warnings. It also accuses Hinge of operating a “defective” reporting system, noting that if an alleged attacker unmatched a victim before a report was filed, the option to report could disappear.
According to the suit, Matthews was first reported to Hinge in 2020 but continued using dating apps until 2023. In October 2024, he was sentenced to 158 years to life in prison after being convicted on 35 counts involving the drugging and sexual assault of at least 11 women between 2019 and 2023.
One plaintiff told CBS News she met Matthews on Hinge in 2023 and believes she was drugged shortly after arriving at his home. She later discovered that other women had reported him years earlier. “Hinge was liable for giving him a platform,” she said, adding that the company had the means to prevent further harm.
The lawsuit draws on findings from an 18-month investigation by the Dating App Reporting Project, which concluded that Match Group had long been aware of serious safety concerns but failed to release promised transparency reports or adequately address repeat offenders.
Match Group has said it takes allegations of misconduct seriously and is investing in safety measures, including AI moderation, identity verification and cooperation with law enforcement. Company executives have acknowledged that tougher safety tools may reduce user numbers but argue they are essential for long-term trust.
The women are seeking unspecified damages and say the suit aims to compel meaningful reforms in how dating apps respond to reports of sexual violence. “Using a dating app should not mean accepting preventable danger,” one survivor said.
