The real question will be how Tinder prevents any potential harassment ahead of time. You’ll be able to offer feedback about video chats once they’ve ended, as well as report users as usual. But the company isn’t saying if it’ll do anything to protect users during actual chats. That hands off approach may be concerning to some users, especially after ProPublica reported on Tinder’s (and parent company Match Group’s) lax screening policy against sex offenders. Ultimately, it’s up to you to leave a call if you end up chatting with a jerk.
It’s clear that Tinder still has a lot to learn about how users will adopt Face to Face. That explains why it’s being so careful about how it’s rolling out the feature. In the U.S., it’s only available in Georgia, Virginia, Illinois and Colorado.
More so than just a pandemic band-aid for dating, Face to Face could cement itself as an essential new feature for Tinder. After all, you can really only know so much about a prospective date with text chats and photos. A one-on-one video conversation is a more natural way to tell if you’re actually compatible with someone. But it remains to be seen if Tinder can successfully protect its users. As we’ve learned time and time again on the internet, seamless communication inevitably leads to more seamless avenues for abuse.
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