Dating App Tinder Launches New Safety Feature

Although members of the LGBTQ community continue to face discrimination in Canada, the country–much like other like-minded nations–has done its best to ensure that community members are fully protected under the law and treated the same as other citizens.

But while Canada is one of the most LGBTQ-friendly countries on earth (it boasts one of the world’s largest Pride parades and was ranked number one on Forbes’ list of the world’s friendliest countries for LGBTQ travellers), there are nearly 70 countries where homosexuality is still criminalized.

For that reason, Tinder is doing its part to protect LGBTQ users who are travelling abroad. 

“It’s no secret that we believe everyone has the right to live how they want to live and love who they want to love. And while there are still efforts to protect our freedoms from LGBTQ discrimination here in the U.S., it’s important to remember that there are still nearly 70 countries around the world that have laws effectively criminalizing LGBTQ status,” the brand wrote in a recent blog post. 

Recently, Tinder rolled out a Traveler Alert that will appear when the dating app is opened in one of these locations to ensure that users are aware of the potential dangers the LGBTQ community faces. Tinder says the feature will allow users to take extra caution and avoid potentially dangerous situations. 

“We worked with ILGA World to help establish locations in which Traveler Alert will appear. Together, we also added new information to our Safety Tips to include relevant information about this update,” the brand says.

As for how it will work, Tinder says that LGBTQ users will no longer automatically appear on Tinder when they open the app in these areas. 

Once the alert is activated, users will have the choice to remain hidden while in that location or opt into making their profile public so that they can connect with new people. If a user chooses to be shown on Tinder – and has added sexual orientation or gender identity to their profile – it will not be displayed until they leave that area.

The company says the alert will appear when users are on the ground in less LGBTQ-friendly countries, as well as if they are using Tinder’s Passport feature to connect and match with people anywhere in the world.

Traveler Alert on Tinder is rolling out for users on both iOS and Android in the coming days.