Tinder announces new safety feature to protect LGBT+ users in countries with discriminatory laws

'It is unthinkable that, in 2019, there are still countries with legislation in place that deprives people of this basic right'

(Getty Images)

Tinder has announced a new feature with the aim of protecting LGBT+ users travelling to countries where they may be at risk.

The feature – titled Traveller Alert – has been designed to caution members of the LGBT+ community when they are using the dating app in one of the nearly 70 countries around the world that still enforce prejudiced laws against LGBT+ individuals.

When an LGBT+ user opens the app in one of these countries, the Traveller Alert will appear, warning them about the risks they may face in their current location.

In addition to the Traveller Alert – which is rolling out over the next few days – LGBT+ users will also no longer automatically appear on the dating app when in these regions.

Once the alert has appeared on their phones, they can then choose whether to keep their profile hidden or to make themselves public to other users.

If the LGBT+ users decide to make their profile public once more, their sexual orientation or gender identity will be temporarily removed from their profile, if they've already made this information public.

This measure is to protect them from individuals who have made them a target, such as other Tinder users or law enforcement agency workers.

The Traveller Alert feature will work both in the countries – including regions such as Afghanistan, Tanzania and Myanmar – and if LGBT+ individuals are using Tinder's Passport feature.

The dating app's Passport feature allows users to connect with others in any location around the world of their choosing.

Eli Seidman, CEO of Tinder, explained the importance of protecting members of the LGBT+ community from discrimination.

"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," Seidman said.

"It is unthinkable that, in 2019, there are still countries with legislation in place that deprives people of this basic right."

Seidman added that Tinder serves "all communities – no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation", stating that the company is "proud to offer features that help them safe".

"This alert is an example of the many steps that we are taking to protect our users around the world."

In order to assess where the Traveller Alert should be enacted, Tinder worked with the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) World.

The dating app used data from the ILGA's most recent State-Sponsored Homophobia Report, which is a world survey of sexual orientation-related laws across the globe.

When the Traveller Alert appears on someone's phone, they can choose to learn more about sexual orientation laws, as outlined by the ILGA World's 2019 resources.

André du Plessis, executive director of ILGA World, said he hopes the new feature will "help protect people of diverse sexual orientations in the 69 countries around the world that currently still criminalise same-sex love".

"We work hard to change practices, laws and attitudes that put LGBTQ people at risk – including the use of dating apps to target our community – but in the meantime, the safety of our communities also depends on supporting their digital safety," du Plessis stated.

It was recently reported that Polish cities and provinces are declaring "LGBT-free zones".

Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of Poland's Law and Justice party, described the "LGBT ideology" as a "threat to Polish identity, to our nation, to its existence and thus to the Polish state".

Last month, Tinder announced that users now have the option to select up to three sexual orientations on their profiles.