Feeling unsafe on a Tinder date? There’s a panic button for that

There’s plenty of fish in the Tinder sea, but it’s a hit or a miss when reeling in—and sometimes, a bad catch can end up being downright dangerous. A safety solution has been a long time coming for users, but it has finally arrived: Tinder is now launching a panic button along with extra security features.

Alongside safety app Noonlight, the dating app’s upcoming feature will allow users to check-in during a date, noting who they’re with and their location to other people. If things seem suspicious, the Tinder user can now “easily and discreetly” alert the police or emergency services.

Read more: My first time using Tinder as a dating app skeptic

You should run a dating business as if you are a mom,” Match Group Chief Executive Mandy Ginsberg tells The Wall Street Journal. “I think a lot about safety, especially on our platforms, and what we can do to curtail bad behavior. There are a lot of things we tell users to do. But if we can provide tools on top of that, we should do that as well.”

The feature follows after the app coming under scrutiny for its lack of security options, due to reports of sexual assaults and various crimes committed under Tinder dates. While safety is at the forefront for this Tinder update, users won’t have to sacrifice privacy in the process, as Ginsberg assures that location data won’t be used for marketing purposes.

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Other features added into the pile include self-authenticating photo verification (which uses AI tech to compare real-time selfies with a person’s profile), and “Does This Bother You?,” a feature that automatically detects offensive messages with confirmation from the user. 

These security features will initially roll out in the US, although a release date is yet to be confirmed. Here’s hoping Tinder extends these to international seas—we all know we need it.

Art by Grace de Luna

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