📑 ‘Predators can roam’: How Tinder is turning a blind eye to sexual assault

In an investigation, the teams at 4Corners and Hack unpack the way in which Tinder responds to claims of assault. Even with the billions in revenue, Match Group has done little to adequately support users. What makes things worse,  is that the platform seems to protect the perpetrators more than victims through the use of the ‘unmatch’ function.

Tinder allows offenders to use the ‘unmatch’ function to block their victims after a rape to delete any trace of their prior communication.

The problem with banning and blocking is that ease of functionality that makes the platform so enticing also makes it a challenge to manage.

They said they couldn’t completely ban someone from a dating platform because it involved banning a user’s IP address, a number assigned to each device or network, and the number would only last for up to 90 days before changing.

Avani Dias, Ange McCormack and Ali Russell have report that Match Group have since responded and are making improvements to the way in which they support victims.

Match Group said it has updated reporting functions within their apps so that users receive a response and are directed to support services.

However, as with Facebook’s backflip on Holocaust denial content, these responses are too often reactive and seem to be about public relations more than anything else.