About the Safety Map
This study examined how dating app companies define and promote “safety” through the public information they provide to users. We analyzed safety-related materials such as community guidelines, terms of service, privacy policies, and safety tips published on dating apps’ websites. These materials are important because they can affect how users are expected to behave, how harms are understood and addressed, and who is held responsible when something goes wrong.
To build our sample, we reviewed popular dating apps in the Canadian app stores and included both widely used platforms (like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge) and apps designed for specific communities, for example, based on age, race, religion, or sexual orientation (like BLK, Grindr, Muzz, Christian Mingle, Silver Singles). This process resulted in a final sample of 30 dating apps.
From May 2024 to January 2025, we conducted technical walkthroughs of each app. To do this, we downloaded each of the 30 apps and followed the sign-up and profile creation protocol. We completed observational field notes of the process and took screenshots at each step. With the newly created profiles, we observed and noted all safety-related features (e.g., safety centres, blocking and reporting options) based on the criteria highlighted in the safety map. We did not interact with other users on the apps. These walkthroughs represent the general user experience, with a focus on safety features. All observations were used to generate the data presented in the safety map.
Because this study examined safety materials from dating app companies, it does not consider how users actually navigate safety in their own lives. However, since this study focuses on how companies define safety and respond to harms, this research can help users understand the values and assumptions that impact platform design and governance, and it can encourage conversations about how dating app companies’ approaches to safety can be improved. Information about the safety features was verified and updated in February 2026.