NEW HOPE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Meet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEET), a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, announced the formation of its Safer Dating Advisory Board comprised of top epidemiologists and health experts to consult on dating products, provide safer dating guidance, as well as help shape the company’s response to the novel coronavirus amid the ongoing pandemic.
The Meet Group is committed to providing products and platforms that help daters safely spark conversation and form connections, while creating a dialogue around the most practical and safe ways to date in these uncertain times. The Safer Dating Advisory Board was founded with the goal to offer scientifically grounded tips to help those looking to form relationships.
The Safer Dating Advisory Board includes Dr. Anirrudha Hazra, an internal medicine and infectious diseases physician certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Tali Elfassy, an epidemiologist and Research Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Dr. Melissa Sharp, an epidemiologist and postdoctoral fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland with expertise in meta-research and observational mixed-methods research.
“Live video allows users to assess attractiveness and suitability in a low-risk way while providing an opportunity to ask questions related to health, COVID-19 precautions, and even whether an intended date lives in a high-risk multi-generational household,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group. “I look forward to working with Doctors Hazra, Elfassy, and Sharp to pass on sound information to our millions of dating app users.”
“Given the rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a crucial need for scientifically sound, practical, and acceptable guidelines to minimize harm related to COVID-19 with respect to dating apps,” said Dr. Elfassy. “The Meet Group is a pioneer in adding livestreaming video into dating apps, and I believe video dating can be an important filter prior to an in-person interaction in this age of pandemic.”
The pandemic has undeniably changed the way people date, and the Safer Dating Advisory Board will counsel the company and relay the latest in research to help continue to build solutions across platforms to connect users.
“Abstinence-only education largely failed in the realm of sexual education,” said Dr. Hazra, “and it is important that virus-related guidance meet users where they are and be focused on implementable strategies to reduce harm. I look forward to participating in this advisory board and helping shape the company’s response and guidance with respect to COVID-19 and also sexually transmitted diseases. I commend The Meet Group on being proactive in seeking guidance.”
“Clear communication has always been a necessity in dating. While conversations may have changed a bit, the need for connection hasn't,” said Dr. Sharp. “Weighing risk vs. reward for dating has been forced to evolve lately, but with creativity, compassion, and communication, we can adapt.”
The Meet Group’s Safer Dating Advisory Board will hold a public webinar to discuss “Dare to Date: Dating in a Time of Pandemic.” The webinar will be hosted by the Internet Dating Excellence Association on Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. (EDT). The webinar, which will also welcome Geoff Cook, will discuss harm minimization strategies, dating survey data, and assess dating risk in the age of COVID-19.
For more information about the Safer Dating Advisory Board, please visit https://www.themeetgroup.com/safety-meet-group/.
About The Meet Group
The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET) is a leading provider of interactive dating solutions designed to meet the universal need for human connection. Our ecosystem of livestreaming apps enables users around the world to interact through one-to-many livestreaming broadcasts and text-based conversations. Our top apps, MeetMe®, LOVOO®, Skout®, Tagged® and GROWLr®, deliver live interactions and meaningful connections to millions of users daily. Headquartered in New Hope, PA, we have offices in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dresden, and Berlin. The Meet Group is committed to safety. You can find a description of current safety practices here: https://www.themeetgroup.com/safety-practices/. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including whether video dating will be an important filter prior to an in-person interaction in this age of pandemic and whether the advisory board will function as intended and achieve its desired results. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained herein are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “project,” “outlook,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include the risk that our applications will not function easily or otherwise as anticipated, the risk that we will not launch additional features and upgrades as anticipated, the risk that unanticipated events affect the functionality of our applications with popular mobile operating systems, any changes in such operating systems that degrade our mobile applications’ functionality and other unexpected issues which could adversely affect usage on mobile devices. Further information on our risk factors is contained in our filings with the SEC, including the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on March 12, 2020 and the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 6, 2020. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
