Tinder announces new safety features on its app

With personal safety becoming a major concern for consumers, more companies are introducing safety features. Uber recently integrated an in-app feature amid fears of sexual assaults; and now, Tinder has announced it will be adding its own safety features on its app.

The three new features that are due to be rolled out are:

• Photo verification for users – this will compare profile pictures to real-time photos that will help verify the person’s identity and increase trust for other members
• An in-app Safety Center
• A new safety service that will connect users to emergency services if needed

These new features will use the Noonlight platform. It will allow the user to trigger an alarm by pressing a button. This alarm will be able to be connected to other smart devices.

Noonlight currently partners with a number of universities, including Washington University and Southern Methodist University, to try and improve student safety.

For Tinder, app members will be able to share details about their dates, like who they’re meeting, and when are where the date will be. Noonlight says this will be like a  “bodyguard [and] quick backup for daters” who are meeting someone for the first time.

If a Tinder user feels like they’re in a dangerous situation at any time, they can use Noonlight to contact staff and the user will then be contacted. If they don’t respond, Noonlight will then call emergency services.

Elie Seidman, CEO of Tinder said “Every day, millions of our members trust us to introduce them to new people, and we’re dedicated to building innovative safety features powered by best-in-class technology that meet the needs of today’s daters.”

“I’m proud to share these updates, which represent an important step in driving our safety work forward at an unmatched scale.”

According to Tinder, the feature will be rolled out in the US this month, but it’s still not clear as to whether it will be extended globally. The team says that this will be treated like an ongoing update in Tinder’s overall safety features.