Tinder Bans Photos of Men Holding Fish

For the uninitiated, the "fish pic" trend is the inexplicable compulsion to post photos of yourself posing with a fish, which predominantly affects male users that wear camo jackets in earnest. It's an oddity that's plagued the dating app since its inception, with Tinder reporting that 92% of users get "the ick" when they spot a 22-year-old guy named Kyle, who's beaming next to a freshly caught trout. And rightfully so!

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So in the name of public health and safety, Tinder has announced a blanket ban on men holding up "sea creatures big and small," which goes into effect on April 1. This means that any picture in violation of this new rule is expected to be deleted within the next 24 hours in an effort to make "Tinder the first dating app in history to be 'fish free.'"

“We are always listening to our members and it's clear that the ubiquitous fish pic is something that needs to be addressed on our app,” as Tinder Head of Community Pictures, Sal Mon, said in a press release.

“We cast a wide net out for fish pics in order to elevate our members’ experience on Tinder and remove a barrier for them to meet their match," Mon continued, with the release also noting that "no one looks good holding a slimy fish."

The anti-fish pic initiative was also partially spurred by a growing movement asking begging for more creative dating app profiles, which Tinder has been taking quite seriously in its ongoing mission to "help singles make more genuine connections on the app."

If this sounds too good to be true though, you're right. Sadly, Tinder's latest report (ick stats and all) is completely made up for April Fools Day. However, anyone rethinking their fish photo can still find actual ways to boost their profile via Tinder's Hot Tips section.

Photo courtesy of Tinder