Tinder, along with all dating apps owned by Match Group, will soon let users vet their potential dates prior to meeting them in person.
Match Group announced a partnership with the non-profit background check platform Garbo, which will offer the service to users for a fee.
Users will only need their potential date’s first name and phone number or full name to conduct a background check.
Garbo says it collects ‘public records and reports of violence or abuse, including arrests, convictions, restraining orders, harassment and other violent crimes,’ which should be available to Tinder members.
The background check feature is set to begin testing in the Tinder app over the next few months and will then be rolled out to other Match Group apps, which includes OkCupid, Hinge and Match.
Tinder, along with all dating apps owned by Match Group, will soon let users vet their potential dates prior to meeting them in person. Match Group announced a partnership with the non-profit background check platform Garbo, which will offer the service to users for a fee
Tinder has skyrocketed in popularity amid the coronavirus pandemic, allowing users who are shut in their homes to still have a chance to meet a romantic partner.
However, the app has also come under fire for its user base – it has received numerous reports of abuse.
A US report from last year found women under 35 using Tinder were twice as likely as their male counterparts to be called offensive names, or physically threatened, by someone they met on the dating app.
Tracey Breeden, Head of Safety and Social Advocacy for Match Group, said: ‘For far too long women and marginalized groups in all corners of the world have faced many barriers to resources and safety.’
The background check feature is set to begin testing in the Tinder app over the next few months and will then be rolled out to other Match Group apps, which includes OkCupid, Hinge and Match
‘We recognize corporations can play a key role in helping remove those barriers with technology and true collaboration rooted in action.’
‘In partnership with Match Group, Garbo’s thoughtful and groundbreaking consumer background check will enable and empower users with information, helping create equitable pathways to safer connections and online communities across tech.’
Garbo is a female-founded background check platform that was started in 2018 by Kathryn Kosmides, a survivor of gender-based violence.
Tinder users will be able to access a range of reports of potential dates using Grabo, but the service ‘we will not include traffic tickets besides DUIs and vehicle manslaughter (or any variants)’ due to studies that found ‘race frequently affects a police officer’s decision to stop and ticket a motorist.’
It will also not publicize drug charges, as the firms says such offences do not typically coincide with ‘gender-based violence.’
Kosmides, Founder and CEO of Garbo, said: ‘Before Garbo, abusers were able to hide behind expensive, hard-to-find public records and reports of their violence; now that’s much harder.’
‘Being able to reach historically underserved populations is fundamental to Garbo’s mission and the partnership with Match will help us connect with these communities.’
Match Group will begin testing and building out capabilities for Garbo on Tinder in the coming months. Once Garbo is adopted on Tinder later this year, other Match Group U.S. brands will follow.
The new feature may combat the years of gender-based abuse that has tainted Tinder.
In 2019, The Mail released a report discussing how online dating sites are actually used – and the findings may be disturbing to some.
The investigation found those on Tinder and other popular dating apps may be hunting grounds for convicted rapist and sex attackers, as there are hundreds to thousands of woman at their disposal.
Users will only need their potential dates first name and phone number or full name to conduct a background check. Garbo says it collects ‘public records and reports of violence or abuse, including arrests, convictions, restraining orders, harassment, and other violent crimes
Criminals have also been found to create fake profiles to trick unsuspecting users and rob them while on dates.
The apps are also steaming with ‘pedophiles who use a lack of age verification checks to target children as young as eight.’
Tinder had previously stated in its terms and conditions that does not conduct routine criminal records checks, adding: ‘You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users.’
Meanwhile, Match Group’s apps do not require any proof that those signing up are providing their real name, date of birth, profile photograph and gender.
However, it has yet to be seen how the background checks platform Garbo will be integrated with Tinder and other Match Group’s apps, along with how well it will be at stopping gender-based violence.
