Muslim dating, marriage app Muzmatch expands ethnicity filters in response to calls for more diversity and representation
In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States that sparked protests over racism in other countries as well, several dating and matrimonial platforms pledged to remove their ethnicity filters in a bid to fight discrimination.
One of them is Indian matrimony website Shaadi.com. The company ditched its skin tone filter in June 2020 following an online backlash against colourism inspired by protests. The site previously asked users to declare the colour of their skin using options such as “fair”, “wheatish”, and “dark”, and allowed them to search for potential partners based on their skin color.
Other companies have defended their continued use of ethnicity filters, such as Match, the world’s largest online dating company. The group, which owns more than 40 brands, said in an interview with Bloomberg that “it’s important to give people the ability to find others who have similar values, cultural upbringings and experiences that can enhance their dating experience.”
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