A Tinder-style dating app in Indonesia that aims to bring together men and women interested in polygamous marriages has stirred controversy and debate in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.
Polygamy is legal in Indonesia, where a man is allowed to be married to up to four women at a time, but the practice is frowned upon.
Lindu Pranayama, the 35-year-old developer of the app called AyoPoligami, said the idea came to him a year ago when he was scrolling through a dating app.
“A lot of men are looking to engage in polygamous marriages but when they go to regular dating sites or apps they don’t see options that cater for polygamy,” Pranayama said.
The app, which has registered 10,000 users since its launch in April – around 60 per cent of whom are men – has gender-specific chat rooms for users to discuss their experiences in polygamy or ask for advice.
It allows users to swipe left or right on a person’s profile to signal their willingness – or not – to meet them, similar to the popular mobile dating app Tinder.