Tinder is updating its community guidelines in a bid to keep the dating app safe and respectful, the company announced today. As part of the updates, Tinder will automatically remove social handles from bios and discourage users from posting private conversations with their matches on other platforms.
Tinder says its platform is not a place where users should be looking to gain followers on their social channels, which is why it will remove handles from public bios and profiles. Although you can no longer display your social handles, you will still be able to share your Instagram profiles with matches using Tinder’s Instagram integration.
The platform has never allowed users to promote their business on Tinder, but is now introducing a firmer policy that makes it clear that Tinder is for making personal connections, not business ones.
“Tinder is not a place to promote businesses to try making money,” the company wrote in a press release. “Members shouldn’t advertise, promote, or share social handles or links to gain followers, sell things, fundraise, or campaign. To help combat this, Tinder will remove social handles from public bios.”
As for the updates about sharing private Tinder chats on other platforms, the company outlines that users should never post private chats they’ve had with matches unless they have been given consent to do so. The updated policy comes as Tinder chats often go viral on platforms like Twitter or TikTok, as people like to share their funny, strange or wholesome interactions with others on the dating app. However, Tinder believes that “conversations on Tinder are meant to be just that — conversations on Tinder.”
In addition, Tinder is making it clear that an account should be for a single person, and that users in poly and open relationships should create separate accounts for each partner. This means that a couple should not use a single account to find a potential partner. Tinder also notes that users should use its recently released Relationship Types profile feature to indicate if they’re looking for ethical non-monogamy, open relationships or polyamory.
The updated guidelines outline that users should never create fake personas or pretend to be someone else, or file false reports against others. Tinder is also reminding users to respect others’ boundaries, noting that users shouldn’t overshare on the platform. The company is encouraging users to take advantage of its in-app features to be clear about their goals and relationship types.
“The majority of Tinder’s members are 18-25, and Tinder is often their first dating experience,” said Ehren Schlue, SVP of Member Strategy at Tinder, in a press release. “To guide these younger daters as they start their dating journey, Tinder is using this policy refresh to remind and educate members about healthy dating habits — both online and in real life.”
The updated community guidelines come as Tinder recently introduced an AI-powered update to its Photo Verification feature that allows users prove to others they’re neither a bot nor a catfisher. In the past, users would take pictures of themselves to become verified on the dating app and receive a blue check. Now, Tinder is strengthening this process by requiring a video selfie instead of photos. It will also soon allow users to restrict their chats to only those members who are also Photo Verified.
