The coronavirus crisis had a major impact on dating apps. The confinement and social distancing adopted in many countries did not allow meeting new people. This is why Tinder has unveiled a new functionality designed to overcome the problem: in-app video calls. Users who have matched will be able to chat face to face in complete safety.
In effect, users will only be able to start a video call if both accept it. Their phone screen will then be cut in half to display the two people. "We intentionally made this split screen, so that you know exactly what you look like on the other person's phone, so that you feel a little more comfortable," said Bernadette Morgan, senior product manager at within the Tinder Trust and Security team.
The good faith of the users
Obviously, when we talk about video calls on a dating app, it's hard not to imagine that this will lead to abuse. This is why, before launching a video call, users who have matched must agree to keep the discussion "PG", in other words no nudity or sexual content should be displayed, no incitement to violence, to illegal activities or no hate speech should be shared during the video call.
Tinder does not make it clear whether any tool is in place to ensure that users follow its rules, even if the company "explores many different technological approaches". It would therefore seem that the dating application relies in part on the good faith of its users. At the end of a video call, they can still report if their interlocutor has behaved badly and indicate whether they wish this person to contact them again or not.
Currently in the testing phase, the functionality is only offered in 13 countries and to a small group of testers. Tinder first wants to see if "Face to Face" works technically and if the servers support the connections before offering it more globally to its users.
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