S’pore govt staff from same agency won't be matched on GovTech's dating pilot FirstDate
Participants will receive one match at a time.
The Singapore government's new dating pilot, FirstDate, by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), will not match public officers with colleagues from the same agency. The service is open to unmarried workers aged 21 to 35, as the agency aimed to attract actively dating individuals. Sign-ups close on October 5, with matching commencing afterward. FirstDate originated from GovTech's annual hackathon and is not commissioned by another government agency.
The Singpass-verified service pairs participants based on questionnaire responses and the Gale-Shapley Stable Marriage algorithm, granting users one match at a time. The agency hopes that fewer, value-aligned matches will encourage users to consider each introduction more carefully. This algorithm has been used in a similar initiative, the Aphrodite Project, launched by National University of Singapore undergraduates in 2019.
While some users found the questionnaire helpful, they felt certain dealbreaker options, such as religion, smoking, and dietary preferences, were too restrictive. They also hoped the service would include individuals outside the public service. However, psychology experts advised that matching could facilitate introductions but could not guarantee chemistry.
Additionally, users should be assured that their data would not be shared with employers or other parties. FirstDate's website states that only a matched user can view a profile, and contact details are shared with consent. Users can deactivate their accounts and request the removal of their information.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
