Today dating app Tinder has unveiled a brand-new filter that hopes to protect LGBT+ users when travelling to countries where same-sex relationships are prohibited by law.
Tinder collaborated with ILGA World (International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans and Intersex Association) to create the new safety feature, researching the countries that still ban same-sex relationships by law.
The executive director of ILGA, André du Plessis, said in a press release that, “we hope that this development will raise awareness amongst all Tinder users, and help protect people of diverse sexual orientations in the 69 countries that currently still criminalise same-sex love”.
This new addition to the dating app follows in the footsteps of gay dating app, Scruff, which previously launched a campaign to notify users of the potential consequences of same-sex dating in certain countries.
Tinder has previously worked to incorporate LGBT+ friendly features into the app by introducing non-binary gender options in 2016, acknowledging the wide-range of gender identities that use the app.
Named the ‘Traveler Alert’, the feature is designed to pop up when users are in a geographical location where same-sex activity is prohibited by law in order to warn them of the risks of dating and hooking-up in the area.
After receiving the alert, users have the option to hide their profile while in the country. Even if the user chooses to stay visible, their gender identity and sexual orientation will remain hidden to others until they leave the area.
Violence against the LGBT+ community through dating apps has recently been highlighted by the murder of champion Irish dancer Adrian Murphy in London last week.
In a press release launching the new feature, Tinder CEO Elie Seidman criticised countries that criminalise same-sex relationships, calling it “unthinkable” while saying that “we fundamentally believe that everyone should be able to love who they want to love – and we strive to reflect this in everything we do at Tinder.”
The update is due to be available to both Android and i-Phone users in the coming days.
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