Dallas-Based Match Group Launching New Safety Features On Tinder Dating App At End Of Month
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Popular dating app Tinder is about to give its users direct access to new safety tools in case a date turns dangerous.
The Dallas-based Match Group announced Thursday it has invested in and partnered with Noonlight, a "first-of-its-kind safety company that provides emergency response services and personal safety products."
Users will be able to share their locations with friends, get in direct contact with safety dispatchers and in extreme cases, get in contact with police through a panic button.
Match Group plans to roll out Noonlight's technology to U.S. users across its various brands, beginning with Tinder on January 28.
"This partnership is part of Match Group's ongoing commitment to invest in the latest technology to empower users to keep themselves safer on and offline," the company said in a news release.
"A safe and positive dating experience is crucial to our business," said Match Group CEO Mandy Ginsberg. "We've found cutting-edge technology in Noonlight that can deliver real-time emergency services – which doesn't exist on any other dating product – so that we can empower singles with tools to keep them safer and give them more confidence. Integrating this kind of technology, in addition to the other safety standards that Match Group is implementing across our brands, is a necessary step in dating innovation."
The company says Noonlight will allow users to input details of upcoming dates within a Tinder Timeline feature, including who they are meeting, where they are going and when they will meet.
Users will then have the ability to trigger a response within Noonlight's app to discreetly alert emergency services if they feel their safety may be at risk or are in need of assistance.
If an alarm is triggered, Noonlight's certified dispatchers will reach out to check on the user and alert emergency responders if needed, providing them with critical, contextual information from the Tinder user's Timeline.
"We're proud to partner with Match Group and start our integration with Tinder to provide an enhanced level of protection and comfort throughout the dating experience," said Noonlight Co-Founder Nick Droege. "Meeting a new person can be an anxiety-inducing event for a myriad of reasons. In working closely with Match Group brands, our goal is to make sure safety isn't one of those reasons."
