'Shaadi.com' faces adverse reaction in the UK

Matrimonial site Shaadi.com has reinforced caste-based discrimination with an option for Scheduled Castes to be left out of algorithms and due to this they are facing backlash in the UK.

Shaadi.com has been accused of allowing discrimination against the Scheduled Caste community, and raised questions about whether its algorithms are consistent with the country's equality law. The website is UK's largest marriage site catering to the Indian community.

A profile set up for a higher caste person was not offered lower caste potential matches unless they adjusted their preferences to include all other castes. While Shaadi.com has denied caste-based bias because its "community" setting is not discriminatory, it has been warned that there might be a potential breach of the UK's Equality Act.

In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 prevents discrimination on the grounds of race and other protected characteristics, with caste considered an aspect of race.

From Shaadi.com’s side it has been commented that there is no bias built in the system that reduces the visibility of a particular community. They are not in violation of any act as the platform does not discriminate on the basis of community or race and provides equal opportunity to everyone regardless of their race and community.