Dating Apps and the Right to an Explanation

ABSTRACT This article argues that in countries where dating apps have become the primary means of meeting romantic partners and promise to help users find love, individuals should be entitled to access certain information about how their algorithms function. Specifically, we advocate for a legal right to an explanation that addresses the following, not necessarily exhaustive, questions: (i) Is a given dating app, x , designed to gratuitously prolong users' quests for romantic relationships? (ii) What non‐deceptive changes can users make to their self‐presentation to improve their chances of finding a romantic partner on x ? After demonstrating that there are strong personal and societal interests in having these questions answered and indicating how answers to them could be technically provided, several objections to our proposal are addressed, including concerns that it imposes excessive costs on dating app companies and societies at large.