Tinder Adds Background Check Feature to Prevent Abuse

Internet dating comes with its own set of risks, as you are essentially meeting a total stranger, but Tinder is looking to make things safer. 

The popular dating app just unveiled a background check feature and improved tools to report abuse, as announced on a company blog post. Soon, users will be able to conduct background checks right on the app, serviced by a nonprofit called Garbo. Incidentally, Tinder’s parent company, Match Group, became a corporate sponsor of Garbo in March 2021. 

Tinder has not revealed exactly how the background check feature will work or when it will be available, though they did say it will be for US residents only. 

That’s not the only change coming to the dating app. Tinder also revealed a suite of improved tools for members to report abuse. These tools come after the app partnered with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN, in March of 2020. 

“Our members are trusting us with an incredibly sensitive and vulnerable part of their lives, and we believe we have a responsibility to support them through every part of this journey, including when they have bad experiences on and off the app,” said Tracey Breeden, VP of Safety and Social Advocacy for Tinder.

Additionally, employees will receive internal training on how to best help anyone on the app dealing with harassment or abuse. 

Correction 1/28/2022: Corrected a statement in paragraph 2 to reflect that Tinder is a corporate sponsor of Garbo.