posted in Technology

beep@beep@piefed.world

Inside the Matrix: How models, influencers and engagement quotas power the Social Discovery Group’s dating machine and global profits

cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1282667/inside-the-matrix-how-models-influencers-and-engagement-quotas-power-the-social-discover

Women on four continents told ICIJ that global pay-per-action dating sites owned by a Russian businessman and self-styled philosopher left them financially broke and heartbroken.

www.icij.org/news/2026/07/dating-app-scam-models-influencers-social-discovery-group/
online datingInternational Consortium of Investigative JournalistsInside the Matrix: How models, influencers and engagement quotas power the Social Discovery Group’s dating machine and global profits - ICIJWomen on four continents told ICIJ that global pay-per-action dating sites owned by a Russian businessman and self-styled philosopher left them financially broke and heartbroken.
Edited ⁨⁨Jul⁩ ⁨24⁩, ⁨2026⁩, ⁨00:43⁩⁩enPage
Andy@andrewrgross@slrpnk.net

Replying to @⁨beep@piefed.world⁩

I don’t want to diminish the experiences of the people who used this site, but it doesn’t sound surprising. It sounds like a marketplace for softcore, romance-based sex work.

I would imagine that if you were in a long-term serious remote relationship, at some point you’d transition off the pay-per-action dating site onto email and WhatsApp videocalls.

I’m saddened that people get exploited, though.