By City News Service Photo: Universal Images Group Editorial LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Match.com's parent company, Match Group Inc., will pay $2 million to settle a civil lawsuit alleging the online dating service charged customers for automatic renewal without their consent, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced today. “Consumers should be protected from practices that deceptively and unfairly force them to pay for something they don't want,'' Gascon said in a statement announcing the settlement. “We want companies to thrive, but they should be mindful to not abuse technology tools to violate consumer protections.'' Under a judgment negotiated with the company that was signed Wednesday by a Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge, Match Group was additionally required to clearly disclose its automatic renewal terms, to get consumer consent via a checkbox before charging for automatic renewals, and to email customers a confirmation of transactions after they pay with a clear statement of the automatic renewal terms.