Twitter’s Ex-Safety Chief Tackles Fraud on Dating Apps

Clear Facts

• Yoel Roth, previously Twitter’s head of trust and safety, has been hired by Match Group as their new head of trust and safety.
• Roth’s new role will involve tackling issues such as scammers, predators, and fake profiles across Match Group’s dating platforms, including Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid.
• Despite Roth’s plans to implement uniform policies and new protection functions, critics question the effectiveness of these measures and view his hiring as a PR move by Match Group.

Yoel Roth, who once held the position of chief censor for Twitter’s “trust and safety” team, is now set to employ his skills in a new arena: the world of online dating. His new role as the head of trust and safety at Match Group is aimed at cleaning up the company’s various dating platforms.

Match Group, the online dating giant, has welcomed Roth as their new head of “trust and safety.” Roth’s recent departure from Twitter, following a controversial episode that ended in his sudden exit, has led him to this new role where he will be tasked with ensuring the safety of users on Match Group’s dating apps, including Tinder.

Roth’s tenure as Twitter’s head of trust and safety ended abruptly amidst a high-profile takeover. He was essentially ousted following a leak of internal communications. Now, Roth is set to rehabilitate his image by tackling scammers, predators, and other malicious actors that plague Match’s array of dating sites and apps, such as Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid.

However, Roth’s task is far from easy. Match’s platforms are riddled with fake profiles, financial fraud, and even real-world crimes and violence linked to dating app meetups. In 2023 alone, several incidents were linked to Tinder, illustrating the magnitude of the challenge Roth faces.

“Every minute we remove about 44 spam accounts across our apps,” Roth confessed, highlighting the ongoing battle Match faces against persistent scammers who employ advanced technologies and tactics. He even acknowledges that the company can never truly declare “mission accomplished.”

Roth’s strategy involves the creation of uniform policies across Match’s dating platforms and the introduction of new “protection functions” for vulnerable users. However, the unique safety challenges presented by dating apps, where most communication occurs in private chats that cannot be monitored by moderators, may prove to be a significant obstacle.

Roth’s past at Twitter, marked by the censorship of certain groups, and his limited experience in this field, raise questions about his ability to effectively enhance safety on these dating platforms. His appointment has been viewed by many as a PR move by Match Group to counter its reputation for mishandling rampant fraud and abuse on its platforms.

Critics argue that until Match Group fundamentally changes its business model, which they claim exploits loneliness and insecurity through endless, aimless swiping and costly “premium” features, no amount of new trust and safety leadership can truly make dating apps less risky.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Source