User Motivation and Personal Safety on a Mobile Dating App

Abstract

With mobile dating apps taking over the lives of millions, researchers have become more interested in the subject in recent years. Tinder is often perceived as a dangerous place, where users are only interested in one-night stands, while collecting your data for blackmail. Prior research also showed that Tinder collects and stores a variety of information about their users. To see whether or not users are motivated to protect their data from misuse, and why they do so specifically, as well as why they use Tinder in general, a survey was conducted. Results showed that the majority of the 346 participants are more truthful when providing information than not, and usually only change their names. The main reasons for doing so were to protect their privacy and for personal safety. They mostly use Tinder out of boredom, to find a steady relationship, or as a joke. Casual sexual encounters were only the fourth most common reason for using Tinder.