Your mates at Tinder have launched a new safety feature to protect members of the LGBTQI+ community around the world.
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According to statistics from ILGA World (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association), there are still upwards of 60 countries around the world with laws against same-sex relationships.
The new Traveller Alert will pop up when the app is opened in one of these countries. The alert will gives users a heads up about the potential dangers for LGBTQI+ people in the area. So how does it work? Users who identify as LGBTQI+ will no longer automatically appear on Tinder when they fire up the app. In addition, once the alert is activated, users can choose whether to remain hidden while in that location or make their profile public.
If you do choose to go public and you’ve added your sexual orientation or gender to your profile, Tinder will automatically remove this info to safeguard you from law enforcement agencies and extremely shitty people actively targeting members of the LGBTQI+ through the app.
The Traveller Alert will also appear if you’re using Tinder’s Passport feature.
Once you’ve left the country or changed location, your profile will be visible again.
“It is unthinkable that, in 2019, there are still countries with legislation in place that deprives people of this basic right,” Tinder CEO Elie Seidman said. “We serve all communities – no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation – and we are proud to offer features that help keep them safe. This alert is an example of the many steps that we are taking to protect our users around the world.”
Tinder used the latest data from ILGA World’s State-Sponsored Homophobia report to determine which countries the alert should be deployed in. The feature can also direct users to ILGA World’s 2019 resources about international sexual orientation laws.
“We hope that this development will raise awareness amongst all Tinder users, and help protect people of diverse sexual orientations in the 69 countries around the world that currently still criminalise same-sex love,” ILGA World’s Executive Director André du Plessis said.
Tinder has also recently launched a heap of updates in support of the LGBTQI+ community. In collaboration with GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), Tinder has released a new Sexual Orientation feature which aims to give users another way to express their sexuality.
