Tinder, the social dating app, has added a new safety protection that will hide your sexual orientation in an unsafe country if it is indicated on your profile. Travelers will also receive alerts when they open the app.
Wrote the social app: “We recognize and believe in the importance of being inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations, but the reality is this: nowhere in the world is without potential risk, and some countries have specific laws that target LGBTQ+ people. Check out the laws around you when you travel to a new place and research what types of legal protection, if any, are available to you based on sexual orientation. In the event that you're in unsafe territory, we suggest toggling off “Show me on Tinder” which you can find under the settings page.”
“If you have added a sexual orientation to your profile and choose to be shown on Tinder, we will hide your sexual orientation from your profile until you leave that area,” the app added. “It's important to exercise extra caution if you choose to connect with new people in these countries – as some law enforcement have been known to use dating apps as tools for potential entrapment. Some countries have also recently introduced laws that criminalize communications between individuals on same-sex dating applications or websites and even aggravate penalties if that communication leads to sexual encounters.”
