Singapore launches new dating app — but not everyone qualifies

Singapore has rolled out FirstDate, its inaugural dating app exclusively for public servants, amid concerns over its potential impact on marriage and fertility rates. This app, which launched this week, caters only to civil servants aged 21 to 35. Only those who verify their identities via Singpass, the national identity system, can register and utilize the platform.

The Gale-Shapley Stable Marriage algorithm, devised by mathematicians David Gale and Lloyd Shapley in 1962, underpins the app's matching process. The algorithm aims to match users based on their stated interests, habits, and values.

Users go through a one-at-a-time matching system, receiving one match at a time instead of a plethora of profiles. Once a match is made, users have three days to decide if they wish to connect. If they agree to a date, they can select activities to do together, with the government providing vouchers for these events. After the date, users submit feedback on their experiences.

Dating culture experts suggest that FirstDate is akin to other apps in China like Qingteng Love, which values educational credentials, and Er gou, which verifies identity through educational history and caters to tech and finance professionals. These apps are often referred to as "credentialised intimacy" platforms.

Tingting Liu from the University of Technology Sydney notes that FirstDate brings a pragmatic, systems-driven approach to dating, aligning with Singapore's affinity for verification and efficiency. The app could act as a mediator, facilitating awkward questions about potential partners' backgrounds and career trajectories. However, experts remain skeptical about the app's ability to significantly boost Singapore's already-low fertility and marriage rates, citing persistent factors like housing costs and work pressure as more significant obstacles.