A judge has dismissed conspiracy and kidnapping charges against five Massachusetts college students who were accused of plotting to lure a man to their campus through a dating app and then seizing him as part of a “Catch a Predator” trend on social media.

Five Massachusetts college students have appeared in court, accused of plotting to lure a man to their campus through the Tinder dating app and then seizing him as part of a “Catch a Predator” trend on TikTok.

Some U.S. family law firms report a 25% to 30% increase in divorce filings during the first month of the year. On the other hand, it’s also peak time for online dating.

Australia’s government says a code of conduct will be enforced on the online dating industry to better protect Australian users after research found that three-in-four people suffer some form of sexual violence through the platforms.

More and more first dates are by video chat and multiple dating apps have reported that singles are more intentional when swiping right.

The use of dating apps in the last 18 months of the pandemic has surged around the globe.

The activism from smaller rivals adds to scrutiny the tech giants are facing from U.S. and European regulators and lawmakers. Apple is the group's main target, though Google's app store policies are also on its radar. Both companies this summer dropped the popular game Fortnite from their app stores after the game’s developer introduced a direct payment plan that bypasses their platforms. Apple and Google both take a 30% cut from in-app revenue purchases, which has long been a sore spot with developers. Epic is backing the new coalition along with Spotify, online dating app maker Match Group, and other members including Tile, Basecamp, ProtonMail and European media industry associations.

Leon Neal/Getty Images(CNN) - The legal battles between former Tinder executives just keep getting messier. Former Tinder and Match Group CEO Greg Blatt has filed a lawsuit, accusing Tinder co-founder Sean Rad and former VP of marketing and communications Rosette Pambakian of defaming him. According to Blatt's lawsuit, Pambakian and Blatt engaged in "irreverent and, at times, ribald and suggestive conversation" with "both laughing throughout" at the holiday party. The fight over Tinder's valuationThe 2018 suit alleged that Match Group kept Blatt on as CEO because he was key to downplaying Tinder's valuation. The company and Match Group CEO Mandy Ginsberg, who took over Blatt's job, have denied this.

Leon Neal/Getty Images(CNN) - Tinder will start to warn its LGBTQ users when they're in a country where it could be risky to swipe. Tinder said that people who've identified as LGBTQ in its app will no longer have their profiles automatically appear when they open the app in an area with discriminatory laws. According to Tinder CEO Elie Seidman, the update is in direct response to the company's decision in June to add new sexual orientation options. The orientation feature is currently only available in English-speaking markets. "Travel season is in full swing and our hope is that Traveler Alert will educate users (travelers and locals alike) who may not have been aware of such state-sponsored laws," Seidman said.