Online Dating app, Tinder, will soon enable users to run background checks on their matches, helping you find any skeletons in the closet before getting anywhere near the bedroom.
According to an announcement made by Tinder’s parent company, Match Group, they have partnered with non-profit background check platform Garbo to integrate the service into its US app. While anyone can get a background check regardless of their gender or sexuality, the new feature is being introduced specifically with the protection of women and marginalized groups in mind.
In an official statement the company said, “For far too long women and marginalized groups in all corners of the world have faced many barriers to resources and safety. We recognize corporations can play a key role in helping remove those barriers with technology and true collaboration rooted in action.”
To do a background check in Tinder, all you’ll need to do is look up your match using either their first and last name or their first name and phone number. It sounds like a pretty simple tool to help you make more informed dating decisions.
Not all elements of your date’s shady past will come up in these checks though, so you will still have to get to know your potential paramour. While Garbo reveals public records of abuse and violent crime, it leaves out more minor matters like parking fines. It also excludes arrests relating to drug possession, due to the disparate way marginalized people are policed on this issue.
The background checks won’t be free either, though pricing details haven’t yet been determined.
Tinder will be begin testing Garbo over the next few months, with full app implementation expected later this year. Match Group isn’t stopping there though, aiming to incorporate background checks into its other US brands as well. The group currently owns several other popular online dating services, including PlentyOfFish, OkCupid, and Hinge.
Match Group also told Mashable that it has made a seven-figure financial contribution to Garbo, and will also be contributing time and resources to make it fully operational in their services.
As per the reports, Garbo can only work with the data available, and around 80 percent of sexual assaults are never reported. It’s also easy to circumvent these checks by using a fake name, which people are more likely to do if they’re hiding something or have sinister intentions.
Still, hopefully this new feature will help keep some women and marginalised people just a little bit safer.