A new feature on the dating app Happn allows users to send full Spotify songs to anyone with a Spotify account (and 30-second clips to those who don't), which might be the creepiest thing in the dating app/online sphere since the Nice Guys of OKCupid actually signed up for OKCupid. Songs can be sent to anyone within the radial range of 250 yards to 63 miles.
Developed by a French startup, Happn is a location-based app that selects the profiles for potential dates and mates based on people that you have actually crossed paths with IRL.
The musical addition to the app, according to CEO Didier Rappaport, was a simple one to realize: "Music, since maybe the beginning of the world, has been an extraordinary way of expressing emotion, and meeting people can also be an extraordinary emotion," he said after a press conference announcing the new feature on June 18 in Paris.
Even though the team behind Happn refuses to refer to this new feature as an enhancement for the dating app unto itself, it's still a part of an app that doesn't seem to differ too much from Tinder. Game recognize game, basically.
Happn has its detractors, who decry it as a great tool for ambitious, non-Facebook stalking. "There's a lot of information about people available on Happn, acquired simply by walking past someone for a fleeting moment, so it does appear to be an obvious tool for stalkers. You can see who you just walked past and where, how old they are, what they do for a living, how far away they are now, and even exactly when your paths crossed," noted Joshua Barrie over at Business Insider.
#Happn helps you track down random people who you've walked past, or queued for a coffee. #h... https://t.co/t8KQe0Szw6 pic.twitter.com/kYKvx3TC8O
— Marie Eve Prevost (@_MariePrevost) February 15, 2015
So, how does this general potential creep factor apply to the Spotify addition to the app? Imagine sending someone a song like "Stan" by Eminem, or "I'm Gonna Murder My Baby" by Pat Hare. It can go from 0 to terrifying pretty quickly.
It should be noted that Happn does sport blocking features, but still ... it's something to consider.
