In this article:
- Tinder has come under fire for failing to protect users in recent years.
- Tinder’s new feature will allow users to conduct a background check on matches.
- The new feature is a result of their parent company’s partnership with Garbo.
First dates are stressful enough, especially if you don’t know much about the person.
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Tinder is attempting to alleviate some of that stress by rolling out a background check function on the dating app. Match, Tinder’s parent company, partnered with background check non-profit Garbo, so users can request information on their matches.
Tinder users can conduct the background check through the app’s safety center. From there, users are sent to the Garbo website where they can use their match’s first name and phone number to initiate a background check. In some cases, Tinder will ask for additional information. Depending on the result, Garbo offers different suggestions to protect the Tinder community, including reporting those with histories of violent crimes to Tinder. Garbo will also provide resources for victims of domestic violence.
Each Tinder user will get two free background check searches. After the free searches are up, users will pay $2.50 per background check, all of which will reportedly go to the service’s operational costs. Garbo is available to everyone, not just Tinder users, for the same price. The company “seeks to democratize access to public safety information, which has traditionally been cost-prohibitive and difficult to obtain, and empowers people to make more informed decisions about who they interact with in real life,” according to a Tinder press release.
Tinder is the first company owned by Match to offer a background check service. But the company says it will roll out the function to its other brands, which include Match, OkCupid, Hinge, and others. Match first announced its work with Garbo in March 2021, investing seven figures in the company.
The rollout comes as Tinder and Match face increased criticism for their safety protocols. In February 2022, Netflix released a documentary called “The Tinder Swindler” about a man who used the dating app to scam women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Though the film’s documentation of the potential dangers of online dating created substantial buzz, Tinder claims the new feature isn’t a response to the Netflix original.
In recent years, Tinder has ramped up its consumer protection initiatives , adding ID and photo verification to the app. While some critics say that Tinder isn’t doing enough to keep users safe, the dating app that background checks will help them better protect “women and traditionally marginalized groups,” says Tracey Breeden, Head of Safety and Social Advocacy at Match Group. By making users feel safe, Tinder could potentially improve the user experience and gain more loyal customers.