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RAW Tackles Ghosting & Toxicity with New Features

Dating app RAW has tested two new features to help address issues of toxicity & ghosting on the platform. The results are promising, with users sharing that they now felt “so much safer” using the app. 

RAW completed a recent survey of 3,000 New Yorkers, with 82% sharing that they’ve been ghosted at least once on a dating app. Furthermore, 52% reported encountering ‘catfishing.’

The platform is now testing two new features which look to address some of these common challenges faced in online dating.

Respect Meter

Firstly, it is planning to introduce a ‘Respect Meter’ to bring greater accountability to online dating. Each user profile will have green, red, and beige flags that have been submitted by others.

For example, a user might have a green flag displayed after suggesting a great place to go on a date in one conversation. A user may also have a red flag on their profile if they start ghosting, or keep talking about their ex.

Among those who tested the new system, 70% said that they felt “so much safer” using the app, with 60% highlighting that they now “consider other people’s feelings” more in their conversations on RAW.

The platform clarifies that the feature doesn’t serve to label or judge people. It makes clear that “you can’t just write whatever you want and create a toxic environment”.

Addressing Ghosting

Secondly, RAW is taking steps to discourage users from leaving matches ‘on read’. It has tested a new feature that prevents users from messaging someone new if they have too many unanswered chats.

Users will then have to respond in these chats, or ‘uncrush’ them, in order to send messages to someone new.

These two new features are expected to launch to all users by the end of October 2023. Beyond this, RAW encourages users to be authentic by sharing daily unfiltered photos from their front & back camera.

You can find out more about RAW on its website here.

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