Tinder’s height filter: Michelle Begy weighs in. You can listen to the full interview below:
Our founder and MD, Michelle Begy, recently joined a radio discussion with the BBC to share her thoughts on Tinder’s controversial new height filter. Speaking with Stephen Jardine of BBC Scotland, Michelle was asked what she thought of the new feature, which allows users to screen potential matches based on their height. Here’s what she had to say:
“I think there’s going to be a growth of people being disingenuous with their dating profile now. I think what it’s going to do is stop people who could be a good match from being connected with somebody for the sake of, say, two centimetres.”
Michelle also pointed out that while Tinder may be the latest platform to adopt this kind of filter, this is nothing new, and others like Bumble and Hinge have already implemented similar features.
She warned that filters like these can be unnecessarily limiting and will encourage dishonesty, with users potentially altering their height to appear in as many search results as possible. More importantly, she argued that small differences, such as a couple of centimetres in height or a year or two in age, shouldn’t stand in the way of meaningful connections. On keeping an open mind, she said:
“Matchmaking is very different to online dating, and we do ask our clients to be open-minded. I’ve found that some of the best matches I’ve done have been slightly out of their criteria and have actually worked really, really well.”
Michelle also raised the broader issue of where filters like this could lead. If height can be filtered, could body shape or dress size be next? Either way, her message is clear: focusing too much on surface-level preferences may prevent people from discovering genuinely compatible partners.
