Tinder is about to test an added feature that is expected to provide more security to its users. Apps from Match-group, including Tinder, announced their decision to support Garbo. The collaboration would let users check their dates for any past criminal offenses.
Garbo is a non-profit organization that is aimed to have a database of the criminal records of people. Users can then access said information as long as they have their phone number and first name. The exact amount of the investment was not disclosed in the official statement by Match. However, this means that the technology of Garbo can now be implemented in the group’s apps. Tinder is the most popular one among them.
Tinder Aims At Being Safer
Tinder users can potentially now perform a background check of their dates. The check should turn up any records of arrest or violence. With such a feature the records can have a heavy impact on how accepting people can be.
Garbo stated that it records all sorts of criminal abuse that are available to the public. Its website states that the project also accepts manual submissions by the authorities, such as legal documents on criminal behavior. However, the manual submission feature is yet to be implemented.
An important note is that drug charges will not be made public. It states that it is so to ensure equity. The group cites studies stating how Black people have a disproportionately larger number of drug possession charges. It further continues that gender-based violence is not necessarily connected with drug-related offenses. Traffic violations are also exempt.
The feature is not expected to be free. However, the exact fee is yet to be decided upon and attempts are being made to make it as accessible as possible. The tool is not implemented yet, so the jury is out for now. The anonymity factor is bound to change with this but Match has admitted that its users’ data will not be shared with Garbo.
