Controversy over Dating App Surveillance Tools for Couples

A number of new features, including location-tracking, have been adopted by several dating apps in China to boost relationship transparency. However, these tools have caused controversy after causing distrust and raising suspicions of infidelity.

Intended to boost trust and transparency within a relationship, dating apps offered new abilities for users in relationships to track their partner’s location, receive daily check-ins from them, view their phone usage, and even see their phone’s battery level.

South China Morning Post (SCMP) spoke with dating app users who were affected by these new features, as they explained how relationship issues arose from the new tools.

One female dating app user tried out these new tools with her boyfriend, believing the technology would bolster their relationship. However, once the couple spent some time long-distance, her partner soon accused her of infidelity. The app had incorrectly stated her movements, giving a false impression of her behaviour.

Others users gave their opinion on these new features, saying “this is extremely absurd. It’s a relationship surveillance tool”, SCMP reports.

Read the full analysis of these dating app relationship surveillance tools here.