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It's not about the number of brands but the percentage owned of the market. Hilton has a dozen brands but they're just one of several brands competing in the sp

It's not about the number of brands but the percentage owned of the market. Hilton has a dozen brands but they're just one of several brands competing in the space. If Hilton bought up Marriott and IHG and Accor and Choice and Wyndham and Starwood, THEN you'd have a point. If Match owns all of the dating sites/apps and intentionally makes terrible matches to keep people engaged and buys out any competitor that challenges that, well we call that abusing a monopoly. If you've been seeing "anti-trust" mentioned a lot with the tech industry lately, it's probably because the tech industry is a huge unregulated market just overflowing with anti-trust concerns.

akersten 7y ago
If you are an innovator in a space - first to market - by definition you'll have the majority percentage of the market. Online dating is a very young industry compared to hotels. Why not give other firms the chance to compete organically with Match, instead of itching for regulation so eagerly before we've really seen the industry play out? My point is that competing hotel brands did not need the government's help to come into existence, and the barrier to entry for a new hotel company is insurmountable compared to writing a dating app.
- freehunter 7y ago
  OkCupid was launched in 2004. They were bought by Match in 2011. Plenty Of Fish was launched in 2003. They were bought by Match in 2015. Hinge was launched in 2012. They were bought by Match in 2018. Meetic was launched in 2001. They were bought by Match in 2009. I agree, why don't we give other firms the chance to compete organically with Match? And maybe the right way to do that is to block Match from buying them.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 7y ago
    Were any of the above firms that wanted to compete with Match, or were they just happy with being bought out? I mean, in your scenario, if I had a successful dating app and wanted to be acquired by someone, I could end up being prevented from doing so.

akersten 7y ago

If you are an innovator in a space - first to market - by definition you'll have the majority percentage of the market. Online dating is a very young industry compared to hotels. Why not give other firms the chance to compete organically with Match, instead of itching for regulation so eagerly before we've really seen the industry play out? My point is that competing hotel brands did not need the government's help to come into existence, and the barrier to entry for a new hotel company is insurmountable compared to writing a dating app.

freehunter 7y ago
OkCupid was launched in 2004. They were bought by Match in 2011. Plenty Of Fish was launched in 2003. They were bought by Match in 2015. Hinge was launched in 2012. They were bought by Match in 2018. Meetic was launched in 2001. They were bought by Match in 2009. I agree, why don't we give other firms the chance to compete organically with Match? And maybe the right way to do that is to block Match from buying them.
- HeyLaughingBoy 7y ago
  Were any of the above firms that wanted to compete with Match, or were they just happy with being bought out? I mean, in your scenario, if I had a successful dating app and wanted to be acquired by someone, I could end up being prevented from doing so.