Free dating apps face probe over alleged lack of protections from sexual predators

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Tinder, Grinder, Bumble, Match and OKCupid are among the free dating apps that are under federal investigation over procedures used to verify a users’ age and whether or not the user is a registered sex offender.

Rep. Raja Kirshnamoorthi, the head of the U.S. House Oversight and Reform subcommittee on economic and consumer policy, launched the investigation on Thursday saying users’ protection from sexual predators should not be “a luxury confined to paying costumers.”

Kirshnamoorthi cited a May 2019 report on Fatherly about teenagers who are pretending to be 18 years old to use Tinder, which he says “permit registered sex offenders" to prey on them. Kirshnamoorthi sent letters to Match Group, The Meet Group, New Grindr and Bumble Trading.


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The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.