Tinder swipers get ready, because things are about to get a lot safer for users in the coming future, as the app prepares to allow for background checks to be made on all of your matches. No more skeletons in the closet, that’s for sure.
It was announced in a press release today that Tinder’s parent company, Match Group, has partnered with the female-lead, non-profit background checking platform called Garbo. So what does that mean for those of us who aren’t big corporations? Well, quite a bit actually.
Essentially, Tinder will be allowing users in the second half of 2021 to access to background searching capabilities of Garbo through the app, which will let people perform quick searches on their matches using just their name or phone number.
Garbo is a platform that was founded back in 2018 by Kathryn Kosmides, who identifies as a survivor of gender-based violence. By using it, Tinder users will be able to see the public records of crime and abuse that their match may have, which is some incredibly important information for people who use Tinder, especially women and those who belong to marginalised groups.
“For far too long women and marginalised groups in all corners of the world have faced many barriers to resources and safety,” wrote Match Group Head of Safety Tracey Breeden in the press release.
“We recognise corporations can play a key role in helping remove those barriers with technology and true collaboration rooted in action.”
In some really progressive news, Garbo will not show any charges of drug possession that anyone may have, as people who belong to marginalised groups are already disproportionately charged with such offences.
“Garbo works closely with racial equity and gender justice groups, knowing that there is inequity in the experiences of people of colour in the criminal legal system and across society,” read the press release.
“As part of its active stance toward equity, Garbo excludes arrests related to drug possession and traffic violations, which have a disproportionate impact on marginalised groups.”
A few small catches exist with this feature, however. Firstly, it won’t be free when it arrives. There’s no price just yet, but did you really think you’d be able to sleuth through people’s files for a total of zero dollarydoos?
Secondly, the data that Garbo provides will be limited to whichever cases of assault were actually reported. Unfortunately, a majority of people who experience sexual assault do not report it, or are rejected by police who do not believe a sexual assault occurred.
This can limit the results you’ll be seeing, as some people may be getting away with unreported violence. On top of this, they may also be using a fake name, which isn’t uncommon on dating apps.
It goes without saying, however, that this feature will offer an extra level of safety for Tinder users, and we can’t wait to see how it works when it arrives in late 2021.
Help is available.
If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
