Dating Sites as an Investigative Tool

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Dating Sites Peculiarities that May Facilitate Investigation
Psychological Portrait of Dating Sites Users
Conclusion
References

Introduction

In the age of technology dating websites allow people to search for partners who fit ones preferences. To find their perfect match, the users provide a lot of information about their interests, hobbies, life goals, place of residence, education, and many other personal details. However, all this data available on dating sites can also serve as a source of information for investigation when detectives need to learn more about a suspect or other people involved in the case.

Dating Sites Peculiarities that May Facilitate Investigation

The first distinctive feature of dating sites that makes them a valuable source of information is the authenticity of accounts. Most popular websites and apps for dating demand that their users provide only real information about themselves. For instance, Tinders, Grindrs, and HERs community guidelines prohibit the use of nicknames or impersonations of other people. Therefore, if investigators know the suspects name or additional information about them, the chance to find their account on a dating site is higher than on other social media.

Moreover, the profile pictures quality, which is very important for finding a partner, can also help in investigating. Firstly, it should be authentic, just like other information published in a profile. Secondly, it should not be blurred and should clearly show the users face. These rules are set in Tinders, Grindrs, and HERs community guidelines as well. Thus, these pictures may help identify the criminal by showing them to witnesses or comparing them to the composite sketch.

Another feature of many dating apps is the location-based search for a partner. It is used in such apps as Tinder and Grindr (Tinder, About Tinder, para. 4; Grindr, About, para. 2). While generally, it is utilized to meet local people while traveling or find someone in ones local area, this feature may also be useful for detectives to trace the suspects movements and track them down.

Psychological Portrait of Dating Sites Users

Investigators may also observe the way people involved in the case present themselves on dating apps. Firstly, the choice of an app may be important and informative in some cases, as different apps have different target audiences. While Tinder is all-inclusive, Grindr and HER have a narrower target audience and are designed for LGBTQ+ people (Tinder, About Tinder, para. 11; Grindr, About, para. 2; HER, About us, para. 1). Another thing is that even basic information in personal profiles may contribute to understanding the users personality. For example, García-Gómez (2020) studied Tinder and Grindrs male users profiles identifying their attitudes towards masculinity and femininity that may affect their social and sexual behavior. Licoppes study (2019) also involved Tinder and Grindr users, but it had a wider scope and covered a broader range of topics, including attitudes toward gender roles and major interactive patterns. Hook (2020) focused on Tinder users and also highlighted the wide range of information one can identify by examining their profiles. In brief, dating websites can be used for making a persons psychological portrait, which might not be solid proof of their innocence or guilt but can give detectives valuable clues.

Conclusion

In conclusion, dating sites comprise a lot of information about their users that can be useful for detectives and investigators. Firstly, the guidelines of three popular dating apps, Tinder, Grindr, and HER, state that all the information provided by the users, including photos, should be authentic, which facilitates the search for information about suspects. Secondly, dating sites often use location-based search technologies, which may be useful for tracking the suspects movements. Finally, the way people present themselves and communicate on such websites can say a lot to psychologists who would build their psychological portraits.