IAC has brought a new countersuit against Tinder Co-Founder Sean Rad as the debate over early employee stock options rages on.
The tech umbrella claims that Rad secretly recorded a number of conversations at Tinder, invading the privacy of his employees and supervisors alike.
Doing so would be against California law. In the state, both parties need to consent to being recorded.
IAC’s filing reads: “These recordings involve a shocking invasion of privacy and a fundamental lack of honesty and business ethics.”
The company is seeking damages equal to the amount Rad received in options from the date when he allegedly began making the recordings.
The defendant quickly filed a motion to dismiss. Rad’s lawyer said: “IAC and [dating app subsidiary] Match are showing the world the cost of suing them — they will rummage through your personal emails, make up lies, file frivolous lawsuits and do everything else they can to distract from the actual facts.
“Sean and his Tinder colleagues will not be bullied or silenced.”
In January, IAC filed another countersuit suggesting the entrepreneur stole company files. In that instance, it wanted $250 million in damages. Rad also sought to have those allegations dismissed.
IAC is currently in the process of spinning Match Group, the online dating firm which owns Tinder. An analysis of the deal was published in Seeking Alpha this weekend.
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