TEHRAN, Iran: Iran has unveiled a dating application aimed at facilitating lasting and informed marriage for its youth.
Called Hamdam – Farsi for “companion” – the service allows users to “search for and choose their spouse”, state-run television said on Monday.
It is the only state-sanctioned platform of its kind in the country, according to Iran’s cyberspace police chief, Colonel Ali Mohammad Rajabi.
While dating apps are popular in Iran, Rajabi said all other platforms apart from Hamdam are illegal.
Developed by the Tebyan Cultural Institute, part of Iran’s Islamic Propaganda Organization, Hamdam’s website claims it uses “artificial intelligence” to find matches “only for bachelors seeking permanent marriage and a single spouse”.
“Family is the devil’s target, and [Iran’s enemies] seek to impose their own ideas” on it, he said, adding the app helps create “healthy” families.
According to Hamdam’s website, users have to verify their identity and go through a “psychology test” before browsing.
When a match is made, the app introduces the families together with the presence of service consultants, who will accompany the couple for four years after marriage.
Registration is free as Hamdam has an independent revenue model, the website said.
Iran’s authorities, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have warned several times against the country’s rising age of marriage and declining birth rates.
In March, Iran’s conservative-dominated parliament passed a bill titled “population growth and supporting families”.
It mandates the government to offer significant financial incentives for marriage and to encourage people to have more than two children while limiting access to abortion.
The law awaits approval by the Guardian Council, which is tasked with checking that bills are compatible with Islamic law and the constitution.
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