Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 -  Following several months of advisory work with RAINN, Tinder is rolling out a new approach to handling reports of serious abuse and harassment. This new framework is based on giving survivors more agency over what step they want to take next and will be the foundation of how Tinder’s member support programs continue to evolve. These initial changes include ongoing education for internal teams, product improvements, and better access to Tinder’s broad network of survivor resources.

• New member care training informed by guidance from RAINN: Every member of Tinder’s customer care team has participated in a new training that was developed with RAINN to help them better understand how survivors might respond to sexual violence and describe those experiences, how to recognize serious reports that may use vague language, and how to respond in a trauma-informed manner to these types of reports. This training is now a mandatory part of onboarding and training for Tinder’s member care teams.

Learn more about these changes.

• More choice and transparency when making a report: Many survivors don’t make a report right away or, if they do, some may want to receive follow up from Tinder’s support team, and some may not. Updates to the app include a more direct way to report someone they’ve unmatched with in the instance that they’ve chosen to wait to make a report, and the option to receive follow-up information about action taken on their report so members always feel confident they have that choice. For a more detailed outline and visuals of the changes made to reporting in the app, keep reading here
   
• Easier access to different support options: Not everyone will feel comfortable making a report, and there are a variety of different support options available in Tinder’s Safety Center, including Tinder’s dedicated Crisis Text Line (available to members 24/7) and, soon, members will be able to access background checks on matches through Garbo (US-only). The Safety Center is now accessible from virtually everywhere in the app, so help is always a tap away.

“Our members are trusting us with an incredibly sensitive and vulnerable part of their lives, and we believe we have a responsibility to support them through every part of this journey, including when they have bad experiences on and off the app” said Tracey Breeden, VP of Safety and Social Advocacy for Tinder and Match Group. “Working with RAINN has allowed us to take a trauma-informed approach to member support for those impacted by harassment and assault.”  

“By adopting more trauma-informed support practices, Tinder will be better positioned to support members who may have experienced harm and take faster, more transparent action on bad actors,” said Clara Kim, Vice President of Consulting Services at RAINN. 

These changes work together with Tinder’s robust set of harm prevention and safety features, and are a result of Tinder’s commitment to working in partnership with experts to make the app a safer and more inclusive community. Read more about the more than 10 industry-leading safety features Tinder has launched over the past two years.