How The Breakup of Match Group and Garbo Imperils Women's Online Dating Safety
Have you looked for love online? According to research, over half (53%) of Gen Z has, and Tinder tops their list (pun intended) of favorite apps. But Zoomers aren’t the only ones swiping their screens - the stats also show that one in three adults of all ages have used an online dating site or app at least once in their lives.
But dating apps don’t just attract your potential dream date, they’re also a hunting ground for violent sexual predators. Another recent study indicates that 14% of acquaintance rapes occurred as the result of meeting on a dating app. That’s disturbing enough, but the report also notes that the rapes that resulted from meeting online were different from other acquaintance rapes that occurred: They were more violent and preyed on the most vulnerable.
So, whose responsibility is it to keep women (and everyone) safe when meeting people online? In an anonymous virtual world where anyone say they’re anything, what can be done? We, the app consumers, can and should take precautions when meeting a stranger. But the corporate owners of the online apps themselves should do more. A lot more.
Match Group, (the giant corporation that owns Tinder, Plenty of Fish and Match.com, among others) came under heavy scrutiny a few years ago, when a 2019 ProPublica report criticized the lack of company-wide protocols to keep users safe from predators. ProPublica noted that a Match representative went so far as to “freely” admit: “There are definitely registered sex offenders on our free products.”
Registered. Sex. Offenders.
Match had pushed back on regulation for years. Like almost all social media platforms protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, “The site argued in court for years that it has no legal obligation to conduct background checks, and it fought state legislation that would require it to disclose whether it does so.”
But criticism leveled against the corporation had an effect: It finally capitulated. And in March, 2022 announced that it would enable users to check the background of their potential dates. We got our hopes up last year when Match virtually shouted via press release that they were investing in and partnering with Garbo, an innovative background-check platform to: “Enable individuals to easily access public information about violent or harmful behavior, including arrests, convictions, and sex offender registry records…empowering people to make more informed decisions about who they interact with in real life.”
But here we are, a mere18 months later - barely after liftoff, and Garbo has shut down their online platform. Abruptly ending the partnership with Match Group.
What happened? Let’s look at the back story first, then look at implications for women trying to keep themselves safe.
Match Group's Initiative:
In March 2021, the Match Group announced the Garbo partnership, noting efforts to enhance user safety. The plan was to integrate Garbo’s public record search features into Match’s dating platforms, allowing users to check if potential matches had a record of violence or other criminal background.
Who’s Garbo?
Non-profit Garbo was established with a mission to proactively prevent gender-based violence by providing people with access to information about potential partners. Users could conduct background checks on potential matches to ensure they weren't interacting with someone with a violent history. The goal was to provide users with easy access to public records and make dating safer.
Garbo Shuts Down Their Platform
But Garbo abruptly announced in August 2023 that it was winding down its consumer background check service and ended its relationship with Match.
Garbo’s Press Release About Shutting Off Their Background Check Platform
Garbo’s Press Release is disheartening, to put it mildly. They’re on the front lines of keeping women safe and they say they’re losing the war. In their press release, they note the following:
“It’s become clear that most online platforms aren’t legitimately committed to trust and safety for their users.
Local governments are making it harder and harder for individuals to get easy, affordable, simple access to vital public record information needed to identify red flags that inform your decisions on who to engage with online and in-person.
It’s become clear that Garbo needs to adjust our focus to tech tools that more directly educate and empower you to control your personal safety in the digital age while mitigating risk to our team, our board, and to victims and survivors.”
Bottom Line: The Impact of Garbo's Shutdown on Women’s Safety
Dating apps are owned by corporations and corporations are focused solely on one thing: Stock price. Whether the product is cars, refrigerators or people (as in dating apps), product quality and safety takes a back seat to profit. The ProPublica report puts the position of these corporations in full view: They don’t care, even when the product could be their daughters.
So, what’s does all this mean for women’s online dating safety?
1. Loss of a Proactive Safety Layer: With Garbo's shutdown, users lose a significant tool that allowed them to screen out potentially dangerous matches before any real-world interaction.
2. Dependence on Other Safety Features: While Match Group platforms have other safety measures, such as panic buttons, location tracking, and photo verification, Garbo was the nuclear weapon in their safety feature arsenal. And Garbo’s absence is a major loss in the layers of proactive safety against violent predators.
3. users on their own: Without Garbo, women are inherently less safe on dating sites. They’re back on their own (again) against violent predators. They will have to rely more heavily on their instincts (safety intuition) and conduct their own research to ensure their safety, which can be tedious and not always effective. A lot of people probably won’t do this because it isn’t as easy as integration within an app.
Doing your own research is more difficult, but not impossible. In its wake, Garbo recommends contacting the Federal Court Records site: Public Access to Court Electronic Records | PACER: Federal Court Records (uscourts.gov). You’ll pay .10/page (with a max of $3.00) for each report you request.
The good news is that Garbo hasn’t shut down completely. CEO and Founder Kathryn Kosmides noted that they are going forward in a different way: “Garbo is doubling down on our commitment to directly serving individuals over companies, along with more comprehensive engagement with public officials.”
Garbo also provides you with a guide to help you understand if you should trust someone that you meet online with your safety.
The Bigger Picture
So now what? We believe that Garbo’s exit is a wakeup call that includes refocusing, and hopefully potential for new solutions to emerge.
1. Re-emphasizing the Importance of Online Safety: The shutdown underscores the necessity for much stronger safety tools for women in the digital dating world, particularly given the tremendous risks associated with meeting strangers and potential predators. And especially because when looking for love, many women are vulnerable and open to predation.
2. Potential for New Solutions: While the loss of Garbo is significant, it could pave the way for other innovators to step in and develop new solutions for ensuring user safety on dating platforms. Garbo has indicated that it will go forward with developing solutions. Hopefully, there are plans in development.
Women's safety on online platforms, especially on dating apps, has always been perilous. And the shutdown of Garbo is a massive setback in creating a safer online dating environment. But it also serves as a wakeup call and reminder that we need innovation and a lot more vigilance in this sphere. As users, stakeholders and potential victims ourselves, the onus is on us to force corporations and governments to prioritize our safety and advocate for robust mechanisms that protect us in the digital age.
