New Safety Features in Online Dating
Creating safer spaces for people looking for connection
Safe to Love?
More than half of single people in the US have used online dating and yet half of women and 34% of men feel that online dating is not safe¹. Other marginalized groups share these concerns as well, with research noting that LGBTQ+ individuals feel the least safe while online dating and are most likely to have experienced harm¹.
These safety concerns have spurred legislative pressure with Congress mandating that dating apps conduct registered sex offender checks and demands in some jurisdictions for dating apps to conduct background checks on all users. Users, media, and regulators have highlighted safety concerns ranging from digital harms such as harassment online to real world risks when individuals meet in person.
Users Want Accountability
When JP joined Match Group in 2020, use of dating apps was at an all-time high and there were several common criticisms of the industry:
Dating apps didn’t do enough to protect people from and remove bad actors
They were not built for or inclusive of marginalized groups
Media noted that people who reported serious incidents were not told what action the app took regarding the offender. This left users feeling further victimized even though dating apps almost always removed people reported for violent behavior.
Those same reporting tools and interfaces were weaponized against marginalized communities. Trans members reported regularly being banned for false reports and many were harassed by intolerant or ignorant people.
Match Group was the largest player with more safety features than its competitors, but it wasn’t recognized for its safety leadership. It needed outside experts to better tell their safety story, address user pain points, and demonstrate that the company cared for users.
Having User’s Backs
JP and his team began by addressing the concerns with user reporting and responding to reports of serious harm. We collaborated with RAINN to conduct a comprehensive review of sexual misconduct reporting, review, and response protocols. Over several months RAINN worked with employees across product and customer care to advise on policies and procedures.
Next, we tackled user and regulatory concerns by partnering with the nonprofit Garbo to provide the first consumer background check in the dating industry. The partnership allowed users to easily access public information about violent or harmful behavior by running a background check on their matches. Background checks are not a silver bullet for safety and often have a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. That was why we and Garbo partnered with experts to only return search results relevant to user safety and exclude offenses like drug possession and loitering that typically discriminated against marginalized communities.
We also built strong ties with nearly 30 nonprofit organizations and governments around the world to promote online safety. This included partnerships with gender-based violence, LGBTQ+, child safety, and romance scam experts to help inform product, policy, and programming. It also included advising governments and regulators such as the Australian eSafety Commission on their Safety by Design program and Ofcom and the European Commission on the Online Safety Bill and the Digital Services Act.
We also sought to up-level the knowledge of the safety teams across the Match Group portfolio by hosting a first-ever Safety Summit for apps to learn and share safety knowledge and best practices. We brought in experts with diverse backgrounds from the Black, trans, and LGBTQ+ communities to share their lived experiences and challenges on dating apps. They shared guidance on restorative justice, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and safety.
A Better Experience for All
The partnership with RAINN resulted in three key initiatives that Match Group undertook. First, RAINN provided expert-led training to specialized teams handling the most serious reports. Second, teams began following up with reporters of serious harm to let them know the offender had been removed from the platform. This improved users’ experience and satisfaction and helped interrupt the negative media cycle. Finally, the company rolled out a more survivor-centered user reporting flow across the portfolio.
The partnership with Garbo gave users a valuable safety resource and helped shift the narrative around safety. It added a powerful and innovative tool to Match Group’s growing list of safety features and made safety accessible by providing 2 free searches to users. It was positively received by users, the media, and regulators and demonstrated that the company would roll out safety features in a way that was thoughtful and inclusive of marginalized communities. The collaborations with nonprofits and regulators also highlighted the importance of weaving inclusivity into regulations and safety frameworks.
Following the Safety Summit, Match Group’s apps took the insights gathered and wove them into their safety roadmaps. The experiences shared from the diverse experts were used as apps continued to hone in on key safety problem areas such as reporting, response, and online harassment and abuse. There is always more work to be done, but the results showed that building for the most marginalized creates a more inclusive platform for everyone.
[1] Match Group Relationship Report (2022).
Looking for a holistic safety strategy?
JP can help you figure out how to take your safety strategy to the next level and create a trusted and safe experience for your users.