Mingle2 to Offer In-App Background Checks
Contributed by: kellyseal on Friday, May 28 2021 @ 09:13 am
Last modified on Friday, May 28 2021 @ 09:30 am
Dating app Mingle2 announced that it will be rolling out in-app background checks, adding a new level of safety for its more than 39 million users.
The app has partnered with RealMe, a security tool that aggregates publicly available background information on over 275 million people in the U.S., presenting the findings in one report for easier reference. The new integrated feature provides Mingle2 users with insight into sex offender status, marital status, lawsuits, and criminal records of potential matches.
According to the company’s press release[*1] , RealMe’s integration will allow Mingle2 to validate and verify user profiles to ensure safer interactions for people while using the app. Members will also be able to see a person’s Reputation Profile, where the background information is shared.
Mingle2 is initially offering the feature for a $1 trial that grants its members full access to their matches’ background information, but the company did not say how long the trial will last. Presumably it will be a paid feature going forward, but there are currently no details on pricing.
Concerns over dating app safety have grown in recent years, with a sharp increase in scammers and safety issues since early 2020. Global Dating Insights found that there was a 32 percent increase in harassment on dating apps over the past year as the pandemic took hold and people flocked to dating apps to connect. There was also a significant increase in catfishing and scammers looking to take advantage of online daters.
Mingle2 isn’t the first dating app to offer in-app background checks. Match Group announced earlier this year that it would be adding the feature to its dating apps, starting with Tinder. The company partnered with Garbo, a service that offers background checks similar to RealMe’s service.
Jean Liang, CEO of Mingle2 said this in the company’s release: “With more than 600,000 new members every month, Mingle2 is home to millions of singles searching for a connection. With that comes a huge responsibility to keep our members safe and integrating RealMe into our platform is an incredibly straightforward and simple way of doing so.”
“By investing in its members’ safety, Mingle2 offers singles a level of integrity and trust that has long been missing from the online dating space,” says Jeff Tinsley, founder and CEO of RealMe. He added that the service “was designed to improve trust, transparency, and safety online by ensuring the people you date are indeed who they claim to be.”
The background check feature is currently available on Mingle2’s web platform and will go live on iOS and Android devices in mid-May.