Online dating has fundamentally changed the way people seek romantic partners. Fifty-three percent of American adults between the ages of 18 to 29 have used dating apps, 根据最近的一项研究 Pew Research study—and the industry is estimated to reach a market value of $8.到2023年底将达到180亿美元.

尽管网上约会很流行, 用户们越来越担心这种跟踪行为, 网络性虐待, and unwanted sharing of explicit images that occur on these platforms. The Pew study found that 46% of online dating users in the US have had negative experiences with apps, 32%的人认为这不再是一种安全的交友方式. An Australian survey of online daters had similarly concerning results: One-third of respondents reported experiencing some kind of in-person abuse from someone they met on an app, 比如性虐待, coercion, 语言操作, 或者跟踪行为.

在我做创意总监的时候 UX consultant for companies like Hertz, Jaguar Land Rover, and the dating app Thursday, I have learned that user trust and safety significantly impact a product’s success. 说到约会软件， designers can ensure user welfare by implementing ID verification techniques and prioritizing abuse detection and reporting systems. 此外，设计师可以引入 UX features that clarify consent and educate users about safe online dating practices.

验证用户的帐户信息，促进信任

在创建帐户期间， 新员工培训流程 should prompt users to provide comprehensive profile information, 包括他们的全名, age, and location. From there, 多因素身份验证技术 比如检查电子邮件地址, 社交媒体账户, phone numbers, and government-issued IDs can verify that profile-makers are who they claim to be, 从而建立用户信任.

Bumble—a dating app where women make the first move—requires users to submit a photo and a video of themselves performing a specific action, such as holding up a particular number of fingers or posing with a hand wave. Human moderators compare the selfie and the profile picture to verify the legitimacy of the account. 为了更省心，经过验证的用户可以 ask their matches 使用照片验证再次验证他们的个人资料. Bumble notifies the user if their match is verified or not, 用户可以决定是否结束交互. Being transparent about what your dating app does with user information and photos is also key to maintaining trust例如，Bumble就在其网站上清楚地说明了这一点 privacy policy that the company will hold onto the verification selfie and video until a user is inactive for three years.

Tinder的入职流程 包括视频验证 and requires users to send snippets of themselves answering a prompt. 人工智能面部识别 compares the video to the profile photo by creating a unique facial-geometry template. Once verified, users can customize their settings to only match with other verified users. Tinder deletes the facial template and video within 24 hours but retains two screenshots from each for as long as the user keeps the account.

While human moderators and AI tools are incredibly useful, 他们只能在识别骗子或 逃避验证的技术，比如脸部匿名化. In response to these threats, some dating apps empower users to take further safety precautions. For instance, in-app video chats allow users to determine the legitimacy of a user’s profile before meeting in person. Though video chats aren’t 100% safe, designers can introduce features that minimize risk. Tinder’s 面对面的视频聊天 requires both users to agree to the chat before it starts, 还建立了基本规则, 比如不包含性内容或暴力, 用户必须同意，呼叫才能继续. 一旦通话结束，Tinder会立即要求 feedback，以便用户举报不当行为.

优先报告和检测以保护用户

Designing an intuitive reporting system makes it easier for users to notify dating apps when harassment, abuse, 或者发生了不当行为. The UI components 用来提交报告应该是 可从多个屏幕访问 in the app so that users can log issues in just a few taps. 例如，Bumble 's Block & Report feature makes it simple for users to report inappropriate behavior from the app’s messaging screen or from an offending user’s profile.

当我在做 MVP 周四，安全是首要问题. The app started with the premise that people spend too much time online searching for potential dates. Every Thursday, the app becomes available for people to match with users looking to meet that day. Otherwise, the app is virtually “closed” for the rest of the week. 鉴于这种独特的节奏 user experience is limited, so security protocols had to be seamless and reliable.

I tackled the issue of reporting and filtering in Thursday by using third-party software that scans for harmful content (e.g., cursing or lewd language) before a user sends a message. The software asks the sender if their message might be perceived as offensive or disrespectful. 如果发送方仍然决定传递消息, the software enables the receiver to block or report the sender. 这和Tinder的类似 Are You Sure? feature, which asks users if they’re certain about sending a message that AI has flagged as inappropriate. Tinder’s filtering feature reduced harmful messages by more than 10% in early testing and decreased inappropriate behavior long term.

人工智能和机器学习 can also protect users by preemptively flagging harmful content. Bumble’s Private Detector uses AI to identify and blur inappropriate images—and allows users to unblur an image if desired. 同样,易燃物的 这让你烦恼吗?? feature uses machine learning to detect and flag potentially harmful content and provides users with an opportunity to report abuse.

It’s also worth mentioning that reporting can extend to in-person interactions. For example, Hinge—a prompt-based dating app—has a feedback tool called We Met. The feature surveys users who met in person about how their interaction went and allows users to 私下报告匹配 谁在约会时失礼了. 当一个用户报告另一个用户时, Hinge blocks both parties from interacting with each other on the platform and uses the feedback to improve its matching algorithm.

教育和告知以澄清同意

Even with robust ID verification and reporting features, users may still encounter harmful situations because of dating’s intimate nature. To protect users, dating apps should have guidance pertaining to safe dating practices and consent through digital content, company policies, and UX features.

Tinder educates users by linking to an extensive library of safety-related content on its homepage. 这家公司为网上约会提供建议， 建议见面, and a lengthy list of resources for users seeking additional support, help, or advice.

Bumble’s blog, The Buzz, also features several articles about 明确同意 识别和防止骚扰. Consent is when a person gives an “enthusiastic ‘yes’” to a sexual request whether it’s online or in-person. Individuals are entitled to revoke consent during an encounter, 事先同意不等于现在同意. The bulk of dating app interactions are virtual and nonverbal, meaning there’s potential for confusion and miscommunication between users. To combat this, dating apps need to have clear and easily accessible consent policies.

For instance, Bumble encourages users to report disrespectful and nonconsensual behavior, and if a user responds rudely when someone rejects a sexual request, it is grounds for 被应用程序封杀. However, Bumble’s onboarding only hints at this rule; more explicit UX writing or highlighting the company’s consent policy during onboarding would reduce ambiguity and instill greater trust in the product.

Familiar visual cues such as icons can also pave the way for clearer interactions between users. In most dating apps, the heart icon means a user likes a person’s entire profile. Hinge, though, 允许用户将心放置在帐户的部分, such as a person’s response to a prompt or a profile image. 此功能不是授予同意的一种手段, but it is a thoughtful attempt to foster a more nuanced conversation about what a user likes and doesn’t like.

为网上约会设计一个更安全的未来

As concerns around privacy and security increase, user safety in dating app design must evolve. One trend likely to continue is the use of multifactor 身份验证方法 such as facial recognition and email verification to verify identities and prevent fraud or impersonation.

Another significant trend will be the increased use of 人工智能和机器学习 to mitigate potential risks before they escalate. 随着这些技术变得越来越复杂, they’ll be able to automatically identify and respond to potential threats, 帮助约会软件提供更安全的体验. 政府机构也可能这么做 发挥更重要的作用 in establishing and enforcing standards for user safety, and designers will need to stay current on these policies and ensure that their products comply with relevant laws and guidelines.

确保安全不仅仅是设计. Malicious users will continue to find new ways to deceive and harass, 甚至操纵人工智能技术来做到这一点. Keeping users safe is a constant process of iteration led by user testing and evaluation of an app’s usage patterns. 当约会应用的用户体验优先考虑安全, users have a better chance at falling in love with a potential match—and with your app.