Why the C.E.O. Behind Match.com and Tinder Took a Stand on the Texas Abortion Law – and Why You Should Too
Back when Texas considered banning abortion, Mark Pincus, the C.E.O. of Match.com, joined his colleagues to create a new company called Angel Ventures, which aimed to stop people from “abusing the law.” Today, Pincus is the chief executive of Angel Ventures, the controversial technology company behind Tinder, which claims to be “the social network that lets you find exactly what you want, when you want it,” and Match.com, which, according to the Washington Post, has “the longest-term engagement” in the online dating industry.
Pincus has written extensively about the dangers of the Texas Texas law, which in 2015 outlawed abortion. After the new law passed, Match.com employees were instructed to avoid talking about abortion or abortion rights on the company’s platform. “Our goal, which has always been in the best interest of our users, is ultimately to empower women,” Pincus told the Post. “We are focused on supporting women in need during this time.”
What happened next has been a long and winding road for Pincus and Angel Ventures. Last year, the company sued a Texas state court in court over the new law and won. Earlier this year, the company was forced to shut down its website when the Texas Department of State Health Services announced that it would no longer be able to accept money from Pincus and Angel Ventures for its clinics in the Lone Star state.
A few days later, however, the company’s CEO came a step forward. Pincus announced to the world in a blog post that he would now be donating all of his Match.com money to the legal fund that helped defend the Texas abortion law. “I will continue to direct all my time and attention towards supporting the Texas abortion clinic struggle,” he wrote. “This is the first time in the 18 years I know them that I feel comfortable saying that I will be donating the majority of my remaining Match.com revenue to help