Safety

Our Commitment to Safety

At Match Group, we are focused on leveraging technology and building practices that are continuing to make dating safer as well as helping keep our communities safe around the globe. As a company, we are committed to helping users date more safely and are continuously investing in ways to enhance the safety and tools offered across Match Group’s portfolio. Our approach to safety is centered around helping prevent and disrupt potential harm by utilizing technology including AI to detect potentially inappropriate language. 

In 2018, the Match Group Advisory Council was established consisting of advocates and experts on safety, advising the company on the prevention of sexual assault, sex trafficking, dating violence, and harassment. In working with NGOs, safety experts and law enforcement around the world, we are able to understand the latest trends and continue investing in technology and enhancing our policies. 

 

We remain engaged in conversations with elected officials and safety experts in order to work together to identify and take steps to help improve safety not only on the platforms within our portfolio, but beyond our industry as well.

 

Our Approach to Safety

We use a network of trusted safety tools

Match Group brands use a network of industry-leading automated and manual moderation and review tools, technologies, processes and policies – and spend millions of dollars annually – to prevent, detect and remove people who engage in inappropriate behavior on our apps. Examples of tools our brands use include:

 

  • Automatic scans of profiles upon creation for red-flag language and images;
  • Ongoing scans for fraudulent accounts or messaging activity;
  • Manual reviews of suspicious profiles, activity, and user-generated reports.

Our brands also depend on our users to report any profiles engaged in concerning behavior so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

 

Safety Features:

Photo Verification using video selfie

Video selfie takes Photo Verification to the next level. Previously, members would take still photos while holding a series of static poses, and these photos were compared against others on the member’s profile. Now, to get Photo Verified, members need to complete a series of video prompts. While no photo verification process is perfect, this helps keep those verified accounts more real. Built by Tinder, this tech has been implemented across the Match Group portfolio. 

Safety Center 

The Safety Center is an interactive part of our apps that includes local resources, articles, tips, quizzes and information about safety and privacy features. It’s available at any time - from settings and from the safety shield that appears when members are chatting. The Safety Center was developed in collaboration with the Match Group Advisory Council and additional NGO partners to not only help protect, but also to educate members so they can make more informed choices on our apps.

Are You Sure?

Are You Sure? serves as a real-time warning to users to think twice about their opening line. It uses automated tools to detect harmful language and proactively intervenes to warn the sender their message may be offensive, asking them to pause before hitting send. The feature was first launched on Tinder in 2021 and has since expanded to Plenty of Fish and Meetic. Since the initial rollout, more than 500 million messages have been either edited or deleted by users after the feature flagged potentially harassing or problematic language. 

Video & Automated Tools

Match Group brands are integrating various features such as video chat, automated photo review and photo verification, all of which aid our efforts to help our users ensure that every match is who they say they are. We are also incorporating anti-harassment prompts on our platforms, which use machine learning to automatically screen for potentially offensive messages and prompt the recipient to report the behavior.

Safety Resources

All Match Group brands have in-app safety resources that equip daters with a comprehensive suite of information to keep members informed about the latest safety features while providing the most up-to-date information and tools in the online safety space. These resources are continually being updated and evolved in collaboration with the safety experts on our Match Group Advisory Council

Customer Care Teams

Each of our brands has their own robust customer care team dedicated to supporting our users and addressing any complaints or reports of bad behavior. Serious violations of our Terms & Conditions are reported to Match Group’s centralized safety repository and cross-referenced across our various brands to see if the user has other accounts on other platforms. If any are found, they are blocked as well. 

Match Group’s Safety Policies

We identify, detect, and take appropriate actions to remove bad actors

At Match Group, we prohibit the following groups of people from using our products:

 

  • Anyone younger than 18 years of age;
  • Anyone who has been convicted of or pleaded no contest to a felony, violent or sexual crime;
  • Registered sex offenders;
  • Anyone suspected of sex trafficking.

Match Group’s Terms & Conditions authorize us to remove users who fall into any of the categories above, as well as to conduct searches of sex offender registries and other publicly available records. If a user has been reported for domestic abuse, assault, or criminal activity (past or present) while they are active on our platforms, all accounts found that are associated with that user will be banned from our platforms.

We have a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech

We have a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech on our platforms. In addition to our human moderators and investment in technology to detect banned language, we encourage and rely on our network of users to report any inappropriate language so that our Customer Care teams can investigate and take appropriate action.

We ban and block underage users

With the combination of technology and human resources, Match Group works diligently to keep underage users off of our platforms. In addition to using sophisticated automated tools, our brands collect birthdates, phone numbers, pictures, bios and other inputs used for age verification, as well as check profiles for red flags to keep underage users off our platforms. Human moderators also review accounts that have been flagged either by automated systems or by user reports, and act on those reports accordingly.  

We do not allow prostitution, sex trafficking, or solicitation

Promoting or advocating for commercial sexual services, human trafficking, or other non-consensual sexual acts is strictly prohibited and will result in your account being banned from all Match Group platforms. Solicitation of any kind is also prohibited. If the purpose of your profile is to advertise an event, business, non-profit, political campaign, or contest, or to conduct research, we may delete and ban that account.

We ban and block fraudulent behavior and scams

Match Group has a dedicated team and sophisticated technology that detects and removes spam and fraud using a variety of tools including conducting automated and/or manual reviews of each member profile to block IP addresses from high-alert countries, identifying stolen credit card numbers, and detecting suspicious language in profiles. The Match Group brands instruct users to never send money to someone they met on our platforms, and to report any individual who asks that they do. These steps are designed to stop scams in their tracks and help protect the next potential victim.

 

For more information on romance scams and how to protect yourself, learn more from the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice website.

 

If you believe you were a victim of fraud you should report the scam on our platforms and contact local law enforcement.

 

Response to Reports of Assault

We encourage users to report all instances of abuse or assault

All users of Match Group brands are able to easily report instances of abuse or assault in-app or online. When a member reports abuse or assault to one of the Match Group brands, we review and take necessary action, which can include identifying the user and blocking any associated accounts that are found on Match Group platforms.  

We partner with law enforcement

Match Group has also created an industry-first law enforcement portal with a dedicated team to respond to requests for information from law enforcement and provide information to them during an investigation.  We stand ready to assist in any active investigations.

 

We also work with law enforcement proactively to report things like potential violence, self-harm, and other imminent physical harm. In each instance, we work collaboratively with law enforcement to get them what they need without objections or delay.

Financial Scam Protection

Financial Scam Protection

Over the last several years romance scams have grown in popularity. Match Group has taken steps to help prevent and warn users of potential scams or fraud using AI tools to detect words and phrases and proactively intervene. We have also implemented various ways to warn users of potential scams or fraud, from in app features to in-app education, and popup messages. To help further educate users on how to protect themselves on our apps as well as any online platform, we partnered with law enforcement and cyber crime investigators around the world to create a consumer education campaign on the different types of scams and how to identify common behaviors. 

 

Stay on the app as long as possible

Scammers will attempt to get you on to another platform quickly which can be a common flag for these types of scams. Stay on the app when getting to know a new connection. If the match wants to move platforms but still does not want to meet up or video call it is a red flag.

 

Use the tools available in app

Make sure to verify your profile with Photo Verification and also look out for the verification check on your matches to help confirm they are the person in their profile pictures. You can also set up video chats before meeting in person to confirm your match is the person you’ve been talking to. If your date can’t do any of these things, it’s a red flag.

 

They’re a 10 but a crypto expert

Hard pass. If a new love interest is giving you crypto or investment advice, there is a high probability that it’s a scam. Always report these interactions back to the platform where you met.

 

The promise of a big return of investment or help secure financial future

According to experts, scammers will use techniques to focus on how a large sum of returns could improve your life or what you could do with this new money. Be skeptical of anyone who appears to be wealthy and successful and wants to teach you how to invest and make money.

 

They may play on your heart strings and appear to be desperate

Scammers often claim they need money for a visa, customs fees, surgeries, family medical bills, car repairs or plane tickets to visit. If they appear desperate and money is involved, this should be a giant red flag.

 

Scams can look different and constantly evolve. Keep your guard up and stay vigilant

Online scams have evolved as online platforms have become more accessible and gained popularity. Scammers can also play the long game and don’t just come out and ask for money when first getting to know someone. They often don't start talking about finance until months later after they've gained your trust. As a rule it’s best to never send or receive money via a wire transfer, money order, currency exchange, gift card or investment with someone you’ve never met in person.. Not for any reason. Ever.

Match Group Advisory Council

Formed in 2018, the Match Group Advisory Council (MGAC) is a group of leading experts and advocates involved in the study and prevention of sexual assault, sex trafficking, abuse, harassment, and similar issues. The council is the first of its kind in the industry, and regularly makes recommendations on how to improve safety on Match Group platforms. Current members include:

Lila Slovak

Executive Director of Consulting Services, RAINN

Eric Bloem

Vice President, Programs and Corporate Advocacy, Human Rights Campaign Foundation

John Starr

VP, Business Operations & Strategic Impact, Thorn

John Shehan

Vice President

NCMEC’s Exploited Children’s Division 

Interim COO, MGAC Board

Pamela Zaballa

CEO
No More

Dani Ayers

CEO

#MeToo Movement

Catherine Chen

CEO

Polaris

Yolanda Edrington

COO

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

Dr. Judy Postmus

Dean, University of Maryland

School of Social Work

Government Relations

We support comprehensive safety laws and regulations

As a leader in connecting people, we believe we have an important role to play in defining the standards for all players in our industry. That's why we work closely with legislators and regulators across the globe to define and pass new safety-focused laws that can help make both our users and those on other tech platforms safe. 

Match Group has endorsed or supported the following legislation:

  • The Respect for Marriage Act, which federally protects same-sex and interracial marriage. See more about our support here.
  • The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which is a critical federal law that protects survivors and helps fund programs to assist their recovery. See more about our support here.
  • The EARN IT Act, which establishes a joint commission of lawmakers, experts, and industry participants to set standards and best practices for internet companies to follow in addressing online exploitation of children.
  • The Protecting our KIDS Act, which requires registered sex offenders to provide information on their social networking profiles to the Department of Justice to make them easier to track online and for us to remove from our apps. See more about our support here.
  • A California law that requires all online dating platforms to (a) post safety tips and (b) provide the ability to report other users.
  • A Vermont law that requires all online dating platforms to notify users where they (a) engaged with another user who was removed for fraud, or (b) changed their contact information.
    Bills in California and New York to give victims of catfishing legal recourse against perpetrators.

Match Group is a founding member of the Trust & Safety Professional Association, which supports the global community of professionals​ who develop and enforce principles and policies that define acceptable behavior and content online.

Match Group is also a member of the WeProtect Global Alliance, an international movement dedicated to global action to end the sexual exploitation of children online. As part of our membership, we are aligned with the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, developed and endorsed by the Five Country Ministerial.

And we have collaborated with the National Cyber Security Alliance in the U.S. to build best practices for the online dating industry as part of their “Stop. Think. Connect.” Campaign. 

We welcome the opportunity to work with governments around the world to make the internet a safer place for everyone.

User Education

Each of our brands offers safety tips to educate and empower users to make smart and safe choices while interacting on our sites. We also provide safety information within our platforms. Please see the below resources for support, advice, or assistance.

United States
North America
Country/Region Organization Tel. Number
Canada Ending Violence Association of Canada 1 877 232 2610
Canada Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime 1 877 232 2610
Canada Action Canada Access Line(Sexual Health Hotline) 1 888 642 2726
Mexico National Violence Against Women Hotline 01 800 1084 053
Mexico Red Nacional de Refugios (RNR) National Shelter Network 01 800 822 4460
Mexico Mexfam - Mexican Foundation for Family Planning +55 55 5487 0030
Mexico

National Human Trafficking Hotline

01 800 5533 000
Mexico Crime Victim Hotline(Mexico City) 5533 5533
South America
Country/Region Organization Tel. Number
Argentina

Equipo Niños - Child Exploitation Hotline

0800 222 1717
Argentina Línea 144 - Violence Against Women Hotline 144
Brazil

Ligue 180 - Violence Against Women Helpline

180
Brazil

Disque 100 - Human Rights Helpline

100
Europe
Country/Region Organization Tel. Number
Europe Victim Support Europe 0032(0)23 46 04 55
Europe Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE) – Find Help +43 (0) 1 548 272 0
Austria Frauenberatung 0043 (0)1 523 22 22
Austria 24-Stunden Frauennotruf - 24h Women Emergency Line 0043 800 222 555
Austria Courage Beratung - LGTBIQ Consultancy Office 0043 (0)1 585 69 66
Belgium Payoke - Trafficking Hotline +32 3 201 16 90
Belgium SOS VIOL - Sexual Assault Hotline 0032 (0)800 98 100
Belgium Ecoutes Violences Conjugales - Domestic Violence Helpline 0032 (0)0800 30 030
France National Trafficking Hotline (Ac.Sé) 0033 (0)825 009 907
France Le Planning Familial - Sexuality, Contraception, IVG Hotline 0033 (0)800 08 11 11
France Viols Femmes Information Line - Sexual Assault Helpline 0033 (0)800 05 95 95
France Violences Femmes Info - Domestic Violence Helpline 3919
France HandsAway 838 883 130 00018
France Consentis 114
France Police secours - 17 17
Germany Hifetelfon - Violence against Women Helpline 0049 (0)8000 116 016
Germany Pro familia Federation 0049 (0)69 26957790
Germany Stop-Stalking(Berlin) 0049 (0)30/22 19 22 000
Ireland Rape Crisis Network Ireland 00353 (0)1800 778888
Ireland National Trafficking Hotline 00353 (0)1800 25 00 25
Ireland Irish Family Planning Association 00353 (0)1850 49 50 51
Italy National Anti-Trafficking Hotline 0039 (0)800 290 290
Italy DiRe Network of Anti-Violence Centers 0039 (0)392 720 0580
Italy Gestore1522 – National Anti-Violence and Stalking Hotline 1522
Italy Commissariato di P.S. - Report Cybercrime Number Varies by Region (visit link for more)
Netherlands Transgender Netwerk Nederland 020 205 0915
Netherlands Centrum voor Seksueel Geweld (CSG) 0800-0188
Netherlands COC Nederland 020 623 45 96
Spain SAVG 24 HORAS - Violence Against Women Hotline(Madrid) 016
Spain National Violence Against Women Helpline 901 400 100
Sweden Kvinnofridslinjen 020-50 50 50
Sweden Brottsofferjouren 116006
Sweden RFSL 020-341316
Switzerland BIF-Frauenberatung 0041 (0)44 278 99 99
Switzerland Viol Secours 0041 (0)22 345 20 20
Switzerland LGBT+ Helpline 0041 (0)800 133 133
UK Modern Slavery Helpline 0044 (0)800 012 1700
UK National Domestic Violence Hotline 0808 2000 247
UK NHS National Sexual Health Hotline 0044 (0)300 123 7123
UK CrimeStoppers 0044 (0)800 555 111
UK ActionFraud National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre 0044 (0)300 123 2040
UK Rape Crisis England and Wales 0044 (0)0808 802 9999
UK National Stalking Helpline 0044 (0)0808 802 0300
Asia
Country/Region Organization Tel. Number
India National Women's Helpline 1091 or 181
India National Commission for Women 011-26942369 or 26944754
India Cybercrime Reporting Portal +91 9340337396
India Family Planning Association of India (91) - 22 - 4086 3101
Indonesia GBV and Child Protection Hotline 0811 9670 250
Japan Sexual Assault Relief Center Tokyo 03 5607 0799
Japan Rape Emergency Intervention Center - Okinawa 098 890 6110 03 5607 0799
Japan Sexual Violence Victim Hotline #8103
Japan Domestic Violence Hotline 0570 0 55210
Japan Women's Human Rights Hotline 0570 070 810
Japan Health Hotline for Tokyo Metropolitan Women 03 5339 1155
Korea Digital Sexual Crime Victim Support Center 02-735-8994
Singapore National Crime Prevention Council (Scam Alert) 1800-722-6688
Singapore Samaritans of Singapore 1-767
Singapore Sexual Assault Care Centre 6779 0282
South Korea Korea Sexual Violence Resource Center 02 338 5801
South Korea Korean Women’s Hotline 02 2263 6465
Taiwan Children and Women Protection Hotline 113
Taiwan Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation 02 2555 8595
Taiwan Anti-Fraud and Internet Scam Hotline 165
Thailand Pavena Foundation for Children and Women 1134
Thailand Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand (RSAT) 02-731-6532
Vietnam Center for Scientific Research and Application on Gender - Family - Women and Adolescents (CSAGA) 024-3333-55-99
Vietnam Tomorrow Hotline 096-306-14-14
Vietnam ICS Center 028-2253-2084
Australia
Country/Region Organization Tel. Number
Australia 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732
Australia Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network 1300 CYBER1(1300 292 371)
Australia Marie Stopes Australia 1300 405 568
Africa
Country/Region Organization Tel. Number
Egypt National Council for Women - Sexual Violence Hotline 15115
Egypt Egyptian Family Planning Association +20 2 24027852
Egypt Al Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence - Women's Program +20 1006662404
South Africa Stop Gender Violence Helpline 0800 150 150
South Africa Rape Crisis Capetown Trust 021 447 9762
South Africa Rape Crisis Helderberg 083 484 9409
South Africa Human Trafficking Resource Line 0800 222 777
South Africa Marie Stopes South Africa – Women’s Healthcare Centre 0800 246 432
South Africa Tears Foundation *134*7355#
International
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