Dating shouldn’t be owned.
Most of the dating apps people know belong to one company. Get banned on one and you can be locked out of all of them, often with no reason given and no real way to appeal.1
And the same system that locks out the wrongly accused has let the truly dangerous back in. Reporters found people banned for sexual assault returning on sister apps with a new email and the same photos.2
So here is what we promise, and, for every promise, the thing in our code that keeps us to it.
Six Signals a day. Never for sale.
Everyone gets the same six, every day. No boosts, no super-likes, no premium tier that buys attention.
How it’s enforced: The cap is a database constant checked when every Signal is sent. There is no code path that sells more.
See who’s into you. Always free.
Hiding the people who like you behind a paywall is how the incumbents make money. We don’t.
How it’s enforced: “Into you” reads straight from your inbox. It has no paid check.
Nobody is ranked by looks.
Discover never uses attractiveness, likes received or payment to decide who you see. The formula is public, below.
How it’s enforced: Ranking is one SQL function you can read. It has no fields for looks, popularity or spend.
No public comments, likes or follower counts.
Nobody performs for a crowd, and nobody gets piled on. Everything that matters is one-to-one.
How it’s enforced: The schema has no comment table and no counters that are shown to anyone.
Due process for everyone.
Clear reasons, steps that fit the problem, a real appeal decided by a different person in 72 hours. One bitter report can’t remove you.
How it’s enforced: Software can only place a short hold. Suspensions and bans need a person, and appeals need a second person.
Dangerous people stay out.
Bans for violence, assault or scams are tied to verified identity and photo fingerprints, so a new email address isn’t a way back in.
How it’s enforced: Banned identities and photo fingerprints are kept even after the account is deleted, and every new photo is checked.
Your data is yours.
Download everything or delete everything, any time, even while suspended. Your standing is never shared with another company.
How it’s enforced: Export and delete stay open to restricted accounts. Nothing is sent to other apps.
We want you to leave.
Matches expire in seven days unless you plan to meet. Discover ends instead of scrolling forever. When you meet someone, pausing is one tap.
How it’s enforced: Expiry is enforced on every message, and Discover returns a finite list.
We have your back on the night.
Share your plan with a friend through a private link, then tap “I’m home” when you’re back.
How it’s enforced: Check-in links show first names only, and they expire two days after the date.
How Discover decides who you see.
First, hard filters you set: who you’re interested in, age, distance and dealbreakers. Then this score. That’s all of it. There is no hidden attractiveness rating, and nobody can pay to move up.
What every member is owed.
- You are told which rule was applied, what it was about, and whether a person or the system acted.
- Software alone never suspends or bans you. It can only put a short hold on your account while a person reviews it.
- One report is never enough for a suspension or ban. Reports filed right after you turned someone down count for less.
- You can appeal any decision. A different person reviews it, and you get an answer within 72 hours.
- Downloading your data and deleting your account always work, even if you are suspended or banned.
- Your standing here is never shared with any other dating app or company. The only exception is serious harm we are legally required to report.