*This article has been corrected for the purposes of accuracy. We incorrectly stated that Match Group ended the partnership with Garbo.
Background check provider Garbo has ended its partnership with Match Group. The dating company looks to announce new safety partners soon while Garbo moves in a new direction with a safety guidebook.
Match Group, the dating company managing platforms such as Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and others, first entered a partnership with Garbo in 2021. The collaboration helped direct dating app users to complete background checks of the people they were interacting with, helping them access past records of violent crimes.
However, the safety service faced criticism, TechCrunch reports. Some believed that the Garbo safety tool just meant extra work from users, while others pointed out it is difficult to predict a match’s potential for abuse since past behaviours may not have been reported.
Match Group told TechCrunch that “We are committed to continuously investing and building industry-leading features that give users more information and control over who they choose to connect with on our platforms. While we are disappointed that we were unable to come to an agreement, we are in advanced conversations with alternate providers and will announce a new partnership soon”.
For Garbo, they highlight “a lack of commitment from online platforms and the growing problems with public records has compromised the ability of users to harness the full power and potential of Garbo’s technology”, in a recent statement.
The safety-focused company will now look to release a guidebook that helps people navigate online platforms safely.
“Garbo is doubling down on our commitment to directly serving individuals over companies, along with more comprehensive engagement with public officials,” said Kathryn Kosmides, Founder and CEO of Garbo.
“Over the next few months, Garbo is exploring a variety of innovations and opportunities to continue empowering people to protect themselves from bad actors. We will not stop advocating for survivors and working to protect those most vulnerable from violent and harmful behaviour”, Kosmides shared.