Match Group brings Tinder”s free background checks to more dating apps

Match Group is bringing Tinder’s free background checks to two of the other dating apps it owns: Match (formerly Match.com) and Stir, a dating site for single parents (via CNBC). The system works the same way it does on Tinder: people can use it to see if the person they’re talking to or planning to meet has a history of “violent and harmful behavior,” as the press release from Tinder puts it. business, although there is a nuance here which we will discuss a little later.

When Match Group added this feature to Tinder earlier this year, there was a multi-step process to run one of the verifications. The company says the process should be a bit easier on the Match service – if you talk to someone about dating, a box will pop up asking if you want to complete a background check. Tapping on the link to do this will give you additional information and security tips, and then you’ll be handed over to Garbo, the service that actually handles the background checks.

Once you’re there, you’ll need to enter some information about the person you’re trying to verify, such as their first and last name, phone number, date of birth, location, and more. that information itself, according to a help document, so you’ll either need to know it already or get it from the person you’re trying to perform a background check on. Of course, this may be easier said than done without arousing suspicion.

The payment structure for background checks is similar to that of Tinder – regular users will be able to complete two background checks for free and will have to pay Garbo for subsequent ones. Premium subscribers will receive four free background checks.

A lot of people already know this, but it bears repeating: while background checks can be a useful tool, you shouldn’t just trust someone because an app gives it the green light. Match Group says Garbo’s findings are nuanced — they look at things like arrests, convictions and sex offender registry data, but don’t necessarily flag things that “disproportionately impact marginalized groups,” such as convictions related to drug possession or sex. work – but there’s no guarantee they’ll catch everything.

It’s always best to let a few people know when you’re going to meet a stranger and give them some sort of window of time when you think you’ll be home. And if the vibes are off, take extra precautions or skip the encounter altogether.