Hinge Changes Violation Policy, CRO Stresses Transparency as Key to Trust

For every catfish, ghoster, and scammer on a dating app, there are just as many well-intentioned people looking for love. 

Hinge has revised its approach to content violations by giving its users the benefit of the doubt: Now, a user who violates Hinge’s terms won’t immediately be banned — they’ll be educated. 

After removing the offending content, Hinge will tell the user how their behavior/content violates the app’s terms of service. “We’ll keep your profile intact, remove that specific piece of content and share clear feedback on what was flagged and why,” the company said in an announcement.

The user must listen to the clearly explained terms, and make the necessary changes to their profile, if they want their profile to reappear on Hinge’s Discover feed. 

It’s not about giving bad actors the opportunity to wiggle out of consequences, but to give genuinely well-intentioned daters the chance to learn from their mistakes and, as Hinge puts it, give them “the tools to make thoughtful adjustments to their profiles.” 

The app’s updated approach to content violations uses positive reinforcement to deter bad behavior, instead of swift blocks or bans. The intended result? A version of Hinge that not only feels welcoming to all online daters, regardless of background and experience level. 

Hinge’s New Standards Encourage Growth Over Punishment

Jeff Dunn, Hinge’s Chief Risk Officer, told DatingNews that it’s possible for apps to maintain high safety standards while giving misguided users the chance to learn from their mistakes. 

“We will always hold a high standard for the enforcement of our rules,” he told us. “But we also believe that providing more clarity for users will empower them to use the platform well and have better, more positive interactions.”

By educating its users instead of outright banning them, Hinge hopes to establish a more positive atmosphere on the app, where mistakes are not only learned from, but forgiven.

It’s possible Hinge wouldn’t have changed the way it deals with content violations if it hadn’t listened to its own users. “We understand that [users] value transparency and clear guidance on how to successfully navigate our platform,” the app acknowledged in a press release.

With its new content standards, Hinge aims to give users what they want more than anything: Clarity and transparency, both of which pave the way to increased authenticity. 

“The clearer our rules are, the easier it is to focus on what really matters: making meaningful connections,” according to Hinge. 

Dunn echoes this point: “Transparency builds the strongest foundation for trust,” he told us. “The most important part of any safety system is ensuring that people understand how it works.” 

Hinge Brings Safety and Trust to the C-Suite

Dunn has made transparency a priority at Hinge, first as VP of Trust & Safety, and now as the company’s first global Chief Risk Officer. He oversaw the development of Hinge’s Comment Filter as well as important AI-enhancements in various safety features, including in “Are You Sure?” 

“Adding safety leadership to the C-Suite is an exciting next step in the continued prioritization of fostering user trust as a core part of the company ethos,” Hinge said in a press release announcing Dunn’s new role. 

Dunn doesn’t only want to project the illusion of safety, but to turn Hinge into a safe space for daters of all backgrounds and experience levels. His strategy is to help users feel empowered in their own dating journeys by allowing them to make mistakes. Only when mistakes are made can people learn from them and evolve. 

Just because someone violates Hinge’s terms doesn’t mean they did it on purpose; giving them the chance to fix their mistake sets a more inviting and open tone. It gives the impression that Hinge wants its users to succeed — to make good on its “designed to be deleted” slogan. 

“We believe that when you feel safe, you can show up as the best version of yourself,” Hinge says. 

With its new content standards, Hinge positions itself as a trusted space — and trust could very well be the most valuable commodity in today’s dating world.