Tinder is trialling a feature that gives female users more control over their conversations.
‘My move’ has been reportedly launched in India following several months of testing, with plans to roll the feature out globally at some point in the future.
The optional setting allows women to choose whether only they can initiate conversations with matched partners, whereas normally either party has the option to speak first.
Rival dating app Bumble has had a similar feature since its launch in 2014, only allowing women to initiate conversations in heterosexual matches.
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India is Tinder’s largest market in Asia, and its users send more messages than in any other country. Speaking to Reuters, the general manager of Tinder’s parent company Match Group in India, Taru Kapoor, described how the function now empowers women users of the app: “We’re a platform based on mutual respect, consent, and choice.
“Our users have the autonomy, especially women have the autonomy, on how to be engaged, to be empowered, to control their experience.”
It’s worth noting that the feature is optional in Tinder, so women can choose whether to use it or rather continue using Tinder as it functions currently. Choosing to use the feature will prevent any unsolicited messages.
The many pitfalls of dating sites and apps, from the potential danger that comes with online identities to awkward dates, hasn’t halted the social dating scene, with Facebook hoping to join the market at some point in 2018.
The Bumble approach
Dating sites often face have a plethora of issues, from terrible premises to security flaws and widely-publicised hacks.
Tinder has rolled out several questionable updates over the past few years, from a ‘share’ function that lets users circulate other users’ profiles, to various premium services that undercut many features of the app (and can be bought in 12-month packages – clearly Tinder isn’t very optimistic about its users’ chances of love).
The app’s largest faux pas, however, was that users could log in using just a phone number, as researchers from AppSecure found earlier this year. This meant hackers could potentially use the vulnerability to access personal information, from pictures to personal message histories.
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These issues haven’t exactly elevated the status of an service that is seen by most to be simply a hook-up site. However the ‘my move’ feature could be a smart way for the company to save face by offering its female users a safer alternative to many other dating sites, and reduce the power of online trolls.
However the ability of the woman to choose which potential suitors to pursue is still the unique selling point of Bumble, an app which is in fierce competition with Tinder. Whether this feature will convince Bumble’s audience to defect to Tinder remains to be seen.
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