Sidebar: Love is a lie

Look around, dear listener.

Everything is heart-shaped and pink. People are getting ready for a special night with their special someone.

In our second episode this season, we take you through the dark alleyways of online dating, where $1.3 billion vanished into the pockets of scammers in just one year, and peel back the layers of marketing sleights of hand that extend far beyond the realm of matchmaking.

From mimosas without champagne to candy heart boxes with more filler than chocolate, we dissect the conflict between what's advertised and what lands in consumers' hands — a legal battlefield constantly redefining the line between enticing and misleading.

Special guests:

• “Al,” pro se plaintiff who sued Bumble  
• Kevin Lewis, sociology professor at UC San Diego
• Attorney Spencer Sheehan
• Attorney Robert Freund
• Jennifer Pomeranz, public health attorney and NYU professor
• Bonnie Patten, executive director of Truth in Advertising

Sidebar tackles the top stories you need to know from the legal world. Join reporters Hillel Aron, Kirk McDaniel, Amanda Pampuro and Kelsey Reichmann as they take you in and out of courtrooms in the U.S. and beyond and break down developments to help you understand how they affect your day-to-day life.

This episode was produced by Kirk McDaniel. Intro music by The Dead Pens. A transcript is available.

Editorial staff is Bill Dotinga, Sean Duffy and Jamie Ross.

Want more Courthouse News? Sign up for Closing Arguments, a roundup of our top stories delivered Fridays to your inbox, from Sidebar-alum Nina Pullano.

More on false advertising:

• Colgate must face false advertising claims over toothpaste tube recyclability
• Class action targets makers of Goldfish for use of citric acid
• FTC claims Match Group duped daters into buying subscriptions

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