Tinder now lets you run background checks on your sketchy matches

If you are an active user of dating apps like Tinder, you know that matches can be a mixed bag. Now, Tinder is adding the ability for users to run background checks on their matches.

If you don’t use dating apps, one only needs to browse the Tinder subreddit to see how absurd, and sometimes scary, online dating can be. For women seeking men especially, this new background check feature could help filter out bad people early.

Tinder is partnering with the non-profit Garbo for the new Safety Center feature. All users should have access starting today. You’ll only get two free background checks and Tinder is offering a total of 500,000 free background checks.

“We know that the biggest indicator of future abuse or violence is a history of these types of behaviors. Whether it’s online dating or the dozens of other ways we meet strangers in today’s digital age, we should know if we’re potentially putting our safety at risk,” says Kathryn Kosmides, founder of Garbo.

The results that Garbo surfaces will be limited to ones “relevant to the user’s safety.” Typically, searches only require a first name and a phone number. If that information isn’t enough, however, Garbo might ask for information like the user’s age.

After the 500,000 free background checks are used, checks will cost users $2.50 plus fees and that money goes directly to Garbo to pay for the checks.

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