Tinder Launches New Safety Guide in India
Contributed by: kellyseal on Tuesday, October 10 2023 @ 10:29 am
Last modified on Tuesday, October 10 2023 @ 12:23 pm
Tinder has partnered with the Centre for Social Research (CSR) to create a new safety guide for app users in India.
The safety guide, along with 15 safety features that are accessible on the Tinder app, are part of Tinder’s efforts to improve safety for users. The new guide “leverages CSR India’s insights amid the intersection of technology and violence against women,” according to Tinder’s announcement.
Starting in September, Tinder users will get a prompt through the app’s messaging system on how to access the safety guide, according to the Hindustan Times[*1] .
"Initial interactions set the tone of a relationship, and this guide can play an important role in supporting anyone on their dating journey,” Communications Director Aahana Dhar told the Hindustan Times. "We encourage our users to engage with this guide and take advantage of the many in-app features that have safety at their core,” she added.
One of the app’s safety features is using AI to detect potentially harmful words in conversations. The new feature “Does This Bother You?” asks a user if the language flagged in a received message bothers them, and gives them an option to report the user and message. Another feature called “Are You Sure?” asks the user if they really want to send the message they’ve just written, since the AI detected problematic language.
Dhar added: "So when women come across something suspicious or when someone crosses the line, we want them to let us know and encourage them to unmatch and/or report anyone that breaches our terms.”
Tinder is also encouraging members to use the photo verification feature since 65 percent of daters in India said that a verified photo makes a match more attractive. Plus, they are more likely to swipe right.
Dhar noted that dating apps have become a way for young LGBTQ+ singles to express themselves when they don’t feel comfortable coming out or talking with friends and family. Tinder has a feature that allows them to hide their sexual preference on the app as an additional safety feature.
The Hindustan Times reported that, according to Tinder, seventy percent of young daters surveyed in India said that dating apps provide a platform for “more freedom and self-exploration” and have also “helped dismantle stereotypes and expectations surrounding gender, sex, and relationships."
This new guide comes just after the government of Australia notified dating apps that they need to improve safety on their apps or risk their technology being legislated. The apps operating in the country, including Tinder, have until June of 2024 to comply.
For more information check out the guide at Centre for Social Research[*2] and our review of Tinder.