Banjo relies on info scraped from social media, satellite imaging data and the real-time info from law enforcement. Banjo claims its “Live Time Intelligence” AI can identify crimes — everything from kidnappings to shootings and “opioid events” — as they happen.

Banjo presents many of the same concerns that similar companies have encountered. One of the strongest arguments against surveillance practices by Clearview AI has been that the company’s data storage and security protocols were untested and unregulated. As Clearview AI proved earlier this month, that can lead to massive data leaks. According to Motherboard, Banjo says it removes all personal data from its system, but how and how well it does this remain unclear.

There are also concerns about the lack of public oversight and rampant potential for abuse. Plus, facial recognition is still biased. It’s not as good at interpreting black and brown faces as it is at interpreting white faces, and for that reason, some law enforcement companies have opted not to use it.

The contract between Banjo and Utah says the technology will be deployed in all of Utah’s 29 counties, its 13 largest cities and 10 other cities with “significant relevance,” as well as the University of Utah. So far, Motherboard hasn’t been able to track down a single case that Banjo’s technology helped on, but that doesn’t meant the tech hasn’t been put to use.

If a date turns ugly, users will be able to trigger an alarm via the Noonight tool within the Tinder app. They’ll then be instructed to enter a code. If they don’t, they’ll receive a text from one of Noonlight’s dispatchers. If they don’t respond to that message, Noonlight will call them, and if there’s no answer, or the user confirms that they need help, Noonlight will get in touch with police.

To use the feature, daters will have to share their real-time location data with the app. Match says this information won’t be used for marketing or anything else, nor will the information be shared with Match — it’s all handled by Noonlight. Users opting in to the feature will also be able to display a badge on their dating profiles, which — the company hopes — will act as a deterrent to any bad actors on the platform.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that an alarm could be triggered by accident during a date that’s going well, but the company says that’s a risk it’s willing to take. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Match group chief executive Mandy Ginsberg said, “The false positives, believe me, we took them into account. If someone doesn’t respond, worst case someone shows up and knocks on the door. It’s not the worst thing in the world.”

The new feature follows a number of safety-centric tools on the platform. Last year it rolled out a traveler alert system to help protect LGBTQ users in countries that discriminate, and back in 2018 it launched a Bumble-esque “women talk first” function. However, when it comes to data security within the app itself, its reputation isn’t so solid. A major security flaw in 2018 granted account access with just a phone number, while the same year saw the revelation that user photos were not being encrypted. More recently, a study showed that Tinder — alongside a number of other dating apps — had been playing it fast and loose with sensitive customer data.

Nonetheless, any features that can make the tumultuous world of online dating safer for its users are undoubtedly a welcome move. The Noonlight feature will be free for users in the US from the end of January, with Match Group planning on rolling it out to its other dating apps in the coming months.

Using Galaxy S9s as body cameras might bring some benefits, like automatic uploads and real-time livestreams. But it’s an odd thing to tout at the moment, given all of the backlash about body cameras being worn but not turned on and growing concern about police-use of facial recognition — though Samsung did not say these devices will use facial recognition software.

Studies have found that police-worn body cameras don’t necessarily solve issues like excessive use of force, and they can be susceptible to hacking. Still, body cameras have become more common, and there’s a chance we’ll see more, small law enforcement teams looking for creative ways to equip their officers.