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.

Meeting someone you connected with online can be awkward. It’s even worse when that person looks nothing like their photos. Tinder’s Photo Verification feature prompts a user to pose for two real-time selfies and uses AI to compare them with their existing pictures. If it’s a match, they get a blue checkmark on their profile, which should provide some level of assurance that the person isn’t a catfish. The feature has been available in select US markets since January, but starting today, it’s rolling out across the UK, too.

To verify your profile, tap the profile icon, and then tap the gray checkmark next to your name and age. Select “Verify your profile” and you’ll be shown a pose to copy. Take a selfie and submit it for review. You’ll have to take photos in two different poses to earn that blue checkmark. While the feature currently uses a combination of human labor and AI to match the photos, Tinder hopes AI will be able to handle the entire workflow in the future.

Dozens of Tinder users were banned from the online dating app after mentioning Black Lives Matter in their profiles, according to Buzzfeed News. Some had added Black Lives Matter hashtags to their profiles, while others encouraged matches to sign petitions or donate to causes. According to BBC, Tinder’s guidelines state that accounts can’t be used for “promotional purposes,” so the company may have been enforcing this rule when banning the accounts.

However, it has reversed course, telling Buzzfeed News that it will act upon those terms “in line with our values.” A spokesperson said that Tinder has “voiced our support for the Black Lives Matter movement and want our platform to be a place where our members can do the same.” The company will no longer ban accounts promoting Black Lives Matter, and those who were banned can email its support team to have their accounts reinstated.

Match.com stresses that you should call 911 if you feel unsafe, but Date Check-In could be a good option for when a date acts creepy or strange, but not outright dangerous. Match Group — Match.com’s owner — also owns dating sites OkCupid, Tinder, Hinge, eHarmony and Plenty of Fish. However, Date Check-In is exclusive to Match.com. Other Match Group apps have received other safety features recently, including Tinder’s photo verifications and integration with personal safety app Noonlight.

Such safety features seem to be much needed ones, so hopefully other popular dating apps will receive similar updates. In December, ProPublica reported that while Match.com does screen for sexual predators, Match Group’s other offerings do not, making it easier for criminals to find new victims.

With Ship, users can invite their friends (as well as parents, siblings and especially wise roommates) to join a “crew”. Members of the user’s crew can swipe on dating profiles on their behalf. A “crew chat” group messaging feature can be used for members to discuss the merits of a potential match in greater detail.

Getting friends to weigh in on potential romantic pursuits on a dating app may be nerve-wracking for some, but for others, it’s a vital part of courtship. The practice of texting friends screenshots of notable profiles is already pretty widespread. An entire subreddit, r/Tinder, is devoted to sharing conversations and reviewing profiles. In recent updates, many dating apps have acknowledged this surge in groupthink mentality. Tinder, Hinge and Bumble all allow users to share profiles with friends.

But an entire, extended swiping session on a friend’s behalf is a step further than merely linking to an attractive profile. The former requires a degree of trust and intimacy that most users likely don’t share with casual acquaintances. On Ship, the practice of “shipping” or swiping for a friend is taking off. A total of 53 percent of the matches made on Ship come from people who are swiping on behalf of their friends, a spokesperson for the app confirmed. With online dating, it may be the case that our friends understand us even better than we do.

The warning urged Wildec to “immediately remove” personal info for children, to ask for parents’ permission before allowing access by minors, and to make sure all its apps honor COPPA and the FTC Act. They’ll be allowed back on their respective stores if and when the creator makes the appropriate changes.

It’s not certain if Wildec will comply. Whether or not it does, this is a reminder that issues with underage users aren’t necessarily limited to apps known to have younger audiences — it can be a problem with any software or site that doesn’t have proper age checks.

In a finding that will surprise no one, Tinder says that activity on the app typically skyrockets during musical festivals. During the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival last year, usage of Tinder increased by 300 times in Manchester, TN (the region where the festival is held) compared to the previous month. We’ve seen this trend before — Tinder usage spiked during large-scale sporting events like the Olympics and the World Cup, as well as spring break. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that large gatherings of young people, mostly from out-of-town, create an ideal environment for hookups.

“It’s no secret that Tinder is a must-have app for singles attending music festivals around the world. We consistently see a spike in Tinder use as tens of thousands of music fans come together, so we wanted to create a new experience that makes it easier to connect with other concert-goers before even setting foot on festival grounds,” said Jenny Campbell, CMO of Tinder in a statement.

Tinder will roll out its Festival Mode three weeks before an individual festival begins. The festivals that are participating this year include: Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas and Orlando, Governors Ball, Parklife, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Lovebox, Faster Horses and HARD Summer. AEG’s festivals in the US and UK, including Hangout Fest, All Points East, Firefly and British Summer Time, are participating as well. Depending on the event, users of Festival Mode can also access free events, VIP upgrades and other promotions.