Tinder Partners Garbo To Provide Background Checks On Matches Before Dating

Aiming to make the platform safe, dating app Tinder is partnering with a startup named Garbo to run background checks on users' matches before they go on their first date.

Tinder Partners Garbo To Provide Background Checks On Matches Before Dating

New Delhi: Aiming to make the platform safe, dating app Tinder is partnering with a startup named Garbo to run background checks on users' matches before they go on their first date. Under an initiative focused on gender-based violence awareness and prevention, the partnership between Tinder's parent company Match Group and startup Garbo will start providing users on the dating platform with a background check tool that will be available under the Safety Center.

"We know that the biggest indicator of future abuse or violence is a history of these types of behaviours. Whether it's online dating or the dozens of other ways we meet strangers in today's digital age, we should know if we're potentially putting our safety at risk," Kathryn Kosmides, Founder of garbo, said in a statement.

"We want to protect those most vulnerable to experiencing harm both online and offline and this is just the first step in delivering on our mission to help proactively prevent harm in the digital age."

Garbo, a nonprofit organisation, enables individuals to easily access public information about violent or harmful behaviour, including arrests, convictions, and sex offender registry records. Garbo aims to democratise access to public safety information, which has traditionally been cost-prohibitive and difficult to obtain and empowers people to make more informed decisions about who they interact with in real life.

"For far too long women and traditionally marginalized groups have faced many barriers to resources and safety," said Tracey Breeden, Head of Safety and Social Advocacy at Match Group.

"Garbo's thoughtful and innovative consumer background checks will drive the industry forward while empowering people with critical information to help inform personal safety choices."