Freemium caps amplify dating inequality

A field experiment using a purpose‑built swipe app (1,000+ users, ~70,000 decisions) finds that limiting how many profiles a user can 'like' (a common freemium restriction) increases the concentration of interest (Gini +0.10), while forcing users to inspect non‑visual fields spreads likes (Gini −0.05). Visual features (photos, height) dominate matching decisions, and merely lowering photo salience does not change who gets liked unless other screening steps are required. — Platform design and monetization choices (e.g., limiting likes for pay) can causally worsen attention inequality and related social harms, so regulators and designers should consider social‑distribution effects when evaluating UX and freemium models.