Safety

Dating apps are proving to be a surprisingly loud voice in the fight against hate, harassment, and cruelty.

First, Tinder spoke out for animal rights by asking users to remove photos taken with tigers, which are often mistreated in the name of letting tourists take selfies with the world’s wildest inhabitants.

Then, OkCupid took a stand against harassment and unwanted, sexually explicit messages by introducing a Member Pledge to remind users to treat each other with kindness and respect.

Now, following the violence and tragic death of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia, dating services are again stepping up to ensure their users can meet in a safe and welcoming space, free from hatred and discrimination.

In an era so steeped in dating app culture, users are finding increasingly inventive ways to swipe. Gone are the days when these apps were just about meeting a mate - today they’re used for everything from connecting with business partners to finding tour guides while traveling.

In the latter case, singles update their location in the app, then post a note explaining that they’re visiting and looking to meet locals who are interested in showing them around (what happens after the tour… well… that’s anyone’s guess). It can be a great way to immerse yourself in a destination, but according to a new report, it may be safer in some states than others.

The report by highspeedinternet.com and home security company Safewise used the FBI’s most recent crime data, plus STD rates from the Centers for Disease Control, to rank all 50 U.S. states and D.C. according to safety for online daters.

Dating apps have provided a great way for people to connect, but along with the positives, the downside to dating apps still looms large - users aren't necessarily safe when they are meeting new people.

Dating app users can become easy targets for sexually predatory behavior. The question of security in online dating has once again entered the news headlines, thanks to the conviction of Stephen Port, a UK man who was accused and found guilty of killing four men he met through gay dating apps.

Port met his victims by catfishing them through various dating apps including Grindr, posting fake profiles and avoiding using any real details about himself, encouraging them to meet in person before drugging their drinks. 

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about staying safe online. From gaming, to social media, to online dating, we live in a world that is more connected than ever before. The internet touches almost all aspects of daily life, whether you realize it or not. Most of the time it makes our lives better, but on some unlucky occasions, it does the opposite.

Scammers use digital tools like online dating to lure in unsuspecting victims and their tactics become more sophisticated all the time. If you don’t learn how to protect yourself, you could be putting yourself at risk for emotional, financial, or even physical harm, With Cyber Security Awareness Month just passed, now is the perfect time to talk about prevention.

Is your date a stud or a dud? A new mobile app called Stud or Dud hopes to boost safety and transparency in the online dating world.

A 2011 study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that approximately 81 percent of dating site users lie about their height, weight, or age in their profiles. On average, the female participants described themselves as 8.5 pounds thinner in their profiles than they really were. Men only subtracted 2 pounds, but they lied by a greater magnitude than women about their height.

Badoo Selfie Feature

Popular online dating service Badoo has announced the release of its latest feature “Selfie Request,” which aims to provide more security for female daters using the service.

The new selfie feature allows women to request a photo from a male user after they have received an initial message, so that they can confirm their potential match is genuine and using a real photo. From there, a male user can either send the requested selfie or decline. (The selfie is taken on the spot to confirm the match is genuine.)

Selfie Request is positioned to help the ongoing problem of catfishing in online dating, where users hide their identity behind fake profiles and photos in order to exploit other users. According to Pew Research Center, 54 percent of online daters have felt that someone misrepresented themselves on their profile. This new feature update from Badoo is intended to help avoid this recurring problem by addressing the online safety of females, who are largely the targets of catfishing as well as the main recipients of unwanted and harassing messages.