S2 Ep.8 | Algorithmic Love | Dating Apps

In this episode Judith Zoë Blijden and Gianclaudio Malgieri talk to Lorena Sánchez Chamorro. Lorena is one of the researchers of the Resocial Project. WIth Lorena we discuss how and why social media platforms are designed as they are and how they impact users' vulnerabilities. 

This episode is about resilience and social media. We discuss what individuals can do and are already doing, to ensure their social media use aligns with what they actually want. And about the wider context in which this behavior takes place.  How are laws shaping the platforms we use every day and restricting or creating the options available to us?  We are joined by Maria-Lucia Rebrean and three people that explain why they use social media Amritha, Luiza and Laurens. 

Gianclaudio and Judith talk to Kim van Sparrentak. Kim van Sparrentak is a member of the European Parliament. She has urged for new legislation for a better internet. This legislation might be just around the corner. We discuss what it means when we say technology is political, and what Kim thinks needs to happen to make social media actually social. We recorded this conversation in April 2026. Listener discretion is advised: this episode contains mentions of suicide and violence.

In this episode, we would like to take this conversation beyond the ban and ask a more fundamental question: What do kids and young people need to flourish on social media? In this episode Judith Zoë Blijden and Gianclaudio Malgieri talk to professor Esther Rozendaal (Erasmus University) and Lore Sleeckx and Reinout Vermaercke (Flemish Youth Council).

This season we return to discuss whether social media platforms are actually social. In the first episode of this season Judith Zoë introduces her new co-host prof. dr. Gianclaudio Malgieri and the wider collaboration behind this project. Together they discuss why it is important to discuss social media now. 

In the last episode of this season, Judith Zoë shares what she has learned about vulnerability, dating apps and algorithmic love.  The episode explores how vulnerbaility is related to connection and how this relation is shaped and sometimes distorted by technology. What happens when algorithms mediate intimacy? Can love be optimized? And what does real love ask of us today?

In this episode, Judith Zoë talks to Lindsay Ferris, assistant professor and former UX researcher at OK Cupid, about the design of dating apps and how they influence and affect queer people. Lindsay's academic insights are beautifully illustrated by the dater of the episode, who explains how dating apps became a place of romantic and sexual liberation.

In this episode, Judith Zoë talks to Thomas Crul, lead matchmaking engineer at Breeze. Breeze is an innovative dating app that understands innovation is not just technical, but also about your business model, design, and communication. After discovering that their algorithm might be disadvantaging certain groups, the team at Breeze decided to take responsibility. Instead of ignoring the issue, they’re actively figuring out how to counter algorithmic bias, through engineering, thoughtful design, and transparent communication. In this conversation Thomas opens up about the steps they have taken and openly reflects on his role as an engineer.

In this episode, Judith Zoë speaks with Carlota Memba Aguado, a researcher from the Free University Amsterdam about how dating apps reflect and reinforce structural inequalities and what responsibilities companies have to acknowledge and reduce bias in design. 

What really happens to our data when we use dating apps? In this episode, Judith Zoë speaks with Lisa Steinfeld, a data protection lawyer at NOYB, the European Center for Digital Rights. They discuss how companies like Grindr and Bumble process intimate user data, and what it means for our privacy and autonomy. Lisa explains the legal cases NOYB has filed including the successful complaint against Grindr and a new one against Bumble. Together, they explore how users can reclaim power over their data and what collective action can look like in the digital dating world.