Major Muslim Marriage App Secretly Acquired by Zionists

A quiet acquisition has sent tremors through the global Muslim community, revealing that the popular Muslim marriage app, Salams, has been secretly purchased by Match Group, a tech conglomerate whose leadership and major investors have strong, public ties to pro-Israel Zionist causes. The revelation, deliberately withheld for months, has sparked outrage, widespread calls for boycotts, and deep concerns over user data privacy.

The deal, which closed in late 2023 but was only recently disclosed in Match Group’s February 2025 earnings report, caught millions of Salams users by surprise. “It is clear Match Group tried to hide something, given the situation in Gaza and sensitivities,” stated Shahzad Younas, CEO of rival Muslim matchmaking app Muzz, echoing the sentiment of many who feel betrayed by the lack of transparency.

Related: How To Prepare For Your Halal Marriage?

From Muslim-Centric to Generic: An Erasure of Identity

Once tailored specifically for Muslim cultural and religious needs, Salams has undergone a stark transformation under its new ownership. It’s been stripped of its unique identity, replaced by a generic dating app interface that mirrors Match Group’s other platforms for various demographics. This move, critics argue, isn’t just a business decision; it’s an erasure of a digital space uniquely cultivated for the Muslim community.

Match Group’s Pro-Israel Leadership and Investors

The leadership of Match Group raises significant red flags for Muslim users. Spencer Rascoff, who became Match Group’s CEO in February 2025, previously served on the board of Palantir, a surveillance firm with established ties to Israeli intelligence and the US military. More disturbingly, Rascoff publicly expressed support for Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza in 2023, even boasting in a now-deleted LinkedIn post about contributing to a campaign to cover “rent bills for Israeli soldiers fighting overseas.”

Adding to these concerns is the significant influence of Paul Singer, a pro-Israel billionaire whose investment firm, Elliot Management, acquired a substantial $1 billion stake in Match Group last year. Singer is a major donor to pro-Israel lobbying groups like the Philos Project and Startup National Central, a Tel Aviv-based NGO that actively counters the BDS movement and supports Israeli military technology. These direct financial and ideological links between Match Group’s leadership and investors and pro-Israel causes are a profound source of distress for many Muslims globally.

Match Group’s own financial officers have been candid about their strategy, admitting that acquiring apps catering to “smaller demographics” like the Muslim community helps offset revenue declines in their larger, more established brands. This approach, critics contend, reduces diverse communities to mere profit centers, disregarding their unique values and needs.

Privacy Fears Mount for Muslim Users

Perhaps the most alarming aspect of the acquisition is the impending integration of Salams’ user data into Match Group’s shared technology platform by the end of the year. This means highly personal information—private conversations, religious preferences, marriage intentions, and potentially location data—could be transferred to a company whose leadership is actively aligned with agendas many Muslims oppose. Crucially, it remains unclear whether Salams users will have the option to opt out of this data migration.

“This isn’t just a business decision, it’s a violation of trust,” stated Amro Abdulwahid, a D.C.-area resident and former Salams user. “Our data, our intentions for marriage, our conversations, and our hopes for halal love should never have become a commodity for someone who stands against the very people the app was meant to uplift.” Abdulwahid, like many others, has already deleted her account and is demanding answers regarding the fate of user data.

These data privacy concerns are not theoretical. Past investigations have revealed instances of the US military purchasing location data from popular Muslim apps like Muslim Pro. Moreover, Match Group’s own Tinder app was reportedly used by the U.S. military to target individuals in Lebanon last year. The potential for sensitive Muslim user data to be weaponized or misused under the new ownership is a chilling prospect.

Since the news broke, Salams’ own web platforms have gone dark, leaving critical questions about user data unanswered and further fueling the community’s distrust.

 Match Group’s Shameful History with the Muslim Market

This acquisition is not an isolated incident. Match Group has a documented history of attempting to dominate the Muslim dating market. Shahzad Younas, founder and CEO of Muzz, another popular Muslim matchmaking app, revealed that Match Group made four attempts to purchase Muzz, offering up to $35 million.

Younas, however, firmly refused. “There is NO sum at all that I would accept from [Match Group] for Muzz – on principle I cannot allow us to be sold to a company which in my opinion acts in a highly unethical fashion,” he stated to MuslimMatters. Younas also disclosed that Match Group subsequently sued Muzz four times in the United States and the United Kingdom in what he described as an intimidation tactic to force a sale. While Muzz rebranded after losing a trademark infringement lawsuit in 2022, Younas warns that Match Group’s aggressive strategies are creating a monopoly, leaving independent Muslim platforms vulnerable.

What Should the Muslims Do?

The Salams acquisition serves as a critical wake-up call for the global Muslim community. It underscores the urgent need for heightened vigilance and proactive measures to safeguard digital spaces vital to faith and well-being.

For current Salams users, the immediate advice is clear:

• Delete your account permanently, not just the app. Ensure you follow the in-app steps to remove all your data.
• Demand transparency from Salams and Match Group regarding data handling and opt-out options.
• Spread awareness to ensure others in the community are informed.

For all Muslims, this incident highlights a broader imperative:

• Critically vet app ownership: Before using any app, especially those touching on sensitive aspects of life like marriage or religious practice, thoroughly research the parent company, its leadership, and its affiliations.
• Prioritize privacy: Understand and scrutinize privacy policies. If data collection or sharing practices are unclear or overly broad, reconsider using the service.
• Support Muslim-owned alternatives: Actively seek out and champion businesses that are genuinely Muslim-owned, Muslim-led, and committed to Islamic ethics. Investing in these platforms strengthens the community’s digital infrastructure.
• Advocate for digital rights: Engage with organizations fighting for data privacy and civil liberties to ensure stronger protections for all users.
• Build our own platforms: The long-term solution lies in developing and investing in robust, secure, and ethically guided Muslim-owned digital infrastructure, from apps to social media. We cannot afford to be mere consumers in a digital landscape where our values and data may be compromised.

The Salams controversy is more than just a business story; it’s a profound lesson in trust, privacy, and community autonomy in the digital age. It’s a powerful reminder that vigilance, ethical choices, and collective action are essential to protect the integrity of Muslim spaces online.