To make its dating application much more secure for its users, Tinder is the first platform to set up a system for reporting abusive or violent behavior which can lead to a complaint being filed with the competent authorities.
Tinder on an iPhone // Source: Photo by cottonbro — Pexels
Make sure the meeting is as good online as it is in real life. This is one of the missions that Tinder has set itself, the dating application which does not only want to serve as an intermediary, but also as a guarantor that the potential relationship starts on a good basis. Except that sometimes it doesn’t…
Verbal abuse, online harassment, indecent proposal, even a date that goes wrong: social networks and dating apps often have serious problems to solve and forms that approach the concern too superficially. In addition, victims do not always know how to file a complaint or are quite simply afraid that it will be useless, that their complaint will be dismissed with the competent authorities.
Multiple measures to strengthen security
No more question of letting such thoughts take hold of its users, Tinder continues its fight with an overhaul of its reporting system which wants to intervene both judicially and psychologically with the victims.
For several years, Tinder has been accelerating in its desire for transparency and the fight against harassment by strengthening security for its users. This also happens more recently with the upcoming announcement of user identity verification, after a successful test period. A novelty in terms of security which will also be a first for a social platform.
The old reporting interface on Tinder
But there is another first of great importance that Tinder is about to deploy: the reinforced and in-depth reporting of users behaving badly.
A report to help the victims judicially and psychologically
Exit the old reporting system within the application which seemed very basic. The new system was developed with the association RAINN which fights against sexual violence and also does prevention. This partnership has made it possible to better identify the psychological needs of victims and to remove certain obstacles that could prevent them for various reasons from filing a complaint or simply reporting abusive behavior on Tinder.
From now on, all harmful behavior, online or in reality, will be able to be reported thanks to the new functionality Report which seeks to help both those who wish to react quickly and those who need more time before acting. At Tinder, we say we are aware of the fragility and psychological distress that a dated that goes wrong or verbal abuse, the perception of which may vary depending on the individual. So you have to know how to adapt the system to the different cases and not the other way around.
Eight steps and a few minutes to report
In eight steps that will lead to the report, the victim will be accompanied, supported by the application so as not to forget anything. The main novelty is the ability to report any individual, even a match that has removed you to avoid retaliation.
The unmatch history is not expandable, but it will cover a fairly long period. But everything is also done to avoid simple reports for revenge.
The reporting space is intuitive and well explained. The progress bar is there to show how far you’ve come in the process, “to encourage the person in their approach“, we are told at Tinder. This may report erroneous profile photos, unsuitable messages in their tone as their content. To verify each statement, messages also accompany the steps, asking the user to validate his answers, to complete them if necessary during the last report verification screen.
At each stage, easy access to the Security Center remains available. It is aimed at users who are afraid of going through with a reporting process and offers them assistance, organization and family planning numbers, as well as tools to deal with all situations.
At the end of the report, Tinder thus has many more elements than before to act. After studying the report, the services can then forward the file to the competent authorities or associations.
However, the user remains the sole master of his final decision. He may agree to be contacted again by the authorities in the event of a complaint being lodged or a case being followed up, or even additional information on an ongoing investigation if the individual reported was previously under surveillance. But the victim is also free not to receive a deposit of his report or to want more information afterwards. At Tinder, we believe that all reactions to a delicate situation should be considered and left to everyone’s discretion.
The hunt for harassers and aggressors is open
But don’t think that if you misbehave on Tinder, you can continue elsewhere. In any case, not on the dating apps of the Match group (Match.com, Tinder, OK Cupid, Meetic, Disons Demain and around forty other services).
The company with more than 10 million subscribers recently set up a partnership with Garbo, a company that allows users to find out if their “match” has a criminal record, reports of violence or abuse. It has also set up a portal allowing the police or associations to obtain information on reported persons in order to facilitate prosecution.
To follow us, we invite you to download our Android and iOS application. You can read our articles, files, and watch our latest YouTube videos.