Tinder reportedly wanted to display a badge on users’ profiles to show they had clean criminal histories.
The divisive feature was revealed in a report by The Wall Street Journal detailing the app’s bust-up with a safety partner.
Garbo, a non-profit that provided online background checks, is severing ties with Tinder parent Match Group after two years. As a result, the digital safety platform is shutting down at the end of August, citing disagreements with Match Group and difficulties getting partners to pay for its services.
Match Group had invested in Garbo in March 2021, following a damaging report that found that sex offenders were using its dating apps.
The non-profit provided a safety feature for Tinder users in the US, enabling them to run background checks on their potential matches using their first name and phone number. This allowed users to see public reports about violence, past arrests, convictions, and restraining orders.
The partnership turned sour, however, as Garbo’s founder Kathryn Kosmides clashed with Match Group on how the tool should work.
Tinder reportedly wanted to develop a system that would encourage users to run background checks on themselves in exchange for a profile badge. The company viewed the feature as a way of flagging “the majority of people that are good” on its dating app, in particular men, according to an internal document viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
But this approach didn’t sit right with Kosmides, who disagreed with “white-listing” someone or giving them a “good guy, bad guy” identity verification. She was concerned that under-reporting of sexual violence and biases in the justice system meant that background checks would paint an incomplete picture.
Match Group had originally heralded its partnership with Garbo as a first for the online dating industry. Yet, critics were quick to point out that the focus on background checks would give users a false sense of safety. They also suggested that Tinder was shirking its responsibility to vet the people on its apps.
In response to the report, Match Group said that it was disappointed that it could not come to an agreement with Garbo, but that it was committed to enhancing safety across its platforms. It added that it was in advanced conversations with alternate providers for background checks.
Tinder has previously introduced safety features such as ID verification, reporting tools, and partnerships with domestic abuse charities.
