HOUSTON – For my friends in the dating pool: my heart goes out to you. It’s scary out there and a recent survey said Texas was one of the most dangerous states for online dating.
MORE: Texas ranked among most dangerous states for online dating: survey
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In the digital age we live in, we rely on technology, and meeting new people is scary enough. However, a dating app, called Wingr, created and based in Houston, has been working to keep users safe by relying on people being unapologetically and uniquely themselves, so they can spend more time finding a partner.
Wingr’s Chief Operating Officer, Howard Edwards, told KPRC 2 in an interview how the app works in two ways: one, by enhancing the communication aspect in dating and two, by allowing matchmaking partners i.e., wingmen/wingwomen.
If you’ve ever used dating apps or have friends who do, you’ve probably noticed them casually swiping on profiles and not really connecting.
“What we’re doing with the app is essentially trying to capture what happens naturally in dating,” Edwards explained. “Typically, when people are going through the dating process, they just naturally contact their friends, tell them about them, or they’ll go out with you and try playing wingman or wingwoman for you at the bar or at a club or wherever you guys are going. And so we’re taking that process and then putting it on a dating app.”
A close friend of mine, who is back on the dating scene, will occasionally reach out to me and share screenshots of a profile to get my thoughts on whether they should talk to them.
When I shared this with Edwards, he explained how that is exactly the key to Wingr.
“We know that’s natural behavior,” he said. “And people always do that on other dating apps. And so we just took that concept and actually built a platform where you can do it in the app. That way it’s a lot more convenient.”
In other words, if my friend lived in Houston (or any of the cities where Wingr is available like Dallas, New York, and Los Angeles) then I could vet profiles for them or any of my friends who have the app and even recommend profiles for my friend to talk to and which ones to avoid. *cough* 🚩 *cough*
“As a Wingr, you can’t interact with people that are in the dating pool,” Edwards explained. “Only you and the person that invited you know you’re on the app. It’s completely anonymous. And so you can actually go through and view and suggest profiles, and help him or her vet what they’re looking for. For example, your friend is looking for a long-term partner, but they have these blind spots for red flags, you can go through profiles they find and say ‘You know, this reminds a lot of the one relationship you said you never want to go back to. Let’s pass on that.’ As the Wingr, you can also send profiles directly to their account for them to view and either approve or pass on.”
Having friends or loved ones assist you in the app should seem ideal then, especially in light of Texas being named one of the most dangerous states for online dating. The report looked at several key factors across 100 U.S. states - including romance scam reports, fraud, identity theft, registered sex offenders, STI incidents, and of course, violent crime rates.
Edwards noted Wingr foresaw some of these issues and that’s why the app put several safeguards in place. For starters, your profile has to be completely filled out - so people know they’re talking to a real individual.
“We’re reviewing profiles, ranking them, and looking to see if this profile is completely filled, then comparing the content against other profiles that are known bot and spam accounts,” he said. “So with bot and spam accounts, they typically have the exact same answers across multiple accounts. We follow this pattern and remove those accounts from the dating pool.”
This is not meant to be perceived as intrusive, Edwards reiterated.
“Protecting our users against spam and identity theft is a top priority,” he said. “We’re real big on privacy. So we don’t store conversations, but we do track key data points to identify which profiles are more likely to be spam or bot accounts and things like that.”
Before this survey came out, Edwards said the team was already working on implementing additional safety features to tackle the issues making online dating so dangerous. He could not go into exact detail as the programs were still being worked on but hopes they will be ready within the next year.
“Because identity theft is the biggest one, we’re developing an alert system,” he explained. “So if you’re a dater, and in your account and receive an alert that gives a warning, ‘like hey, this communication is starting to approach privacy issues, be careful with what you say,’ to alert you to be careful with what you share.”
Partly because, Edwards explained, is meant to ensure the app’s algorithm is not too hasty in its judgment.
“Because we don’t want to be too quick to eliminate a profile. We’re using an algorithm and algorithms are not going to be perfect, but we want to make sure that we’re building a pattern and continually optimizing these patterns to make sure that we’re getting the right,” he said. “We don’t want to eliminate people who aren’t actually bots and maybe just aren’t that great at communicating. So we’re watching that and constantly optimizing.”
Currently, the app is available for Android and iPhone users at no cost, and while Wingr does plan to roll out a paid subscription model, the safety features (including upcoming ones) will remain free.
“We don’t want to charge for safety,” Edwards explained. “We will eventually have a subscription model that allows you to add enhancement features to the actual profile, but safety features will always be free.”
It’s also incumbent on those dating to be mindful of who they’re talking to and ensure you’re not giving out information to just anyone.
“Be smart. They’re still a stranger,” Edwards advised. “It’s still something that’s online, so don’t give out too much personal information. And if you are deciding to go out, make sure it’s in a public place. Just tread lightly and be cautious.”
SEE ALSO: Online dating and the risk of catfishing: How to investigate your date ahead of time
“The other thing to do is let your friends know where you’re going,” he continued. “Someone who wants to do harm. Doesn’t matter how you identify, they will do you harm...Really feel out the person in the conversation. And don’t be too quick to just give out too much, you know, don’t give up your address, but if you feel comfortable, give out your phone number. or just keep the conversation on Wingr until you’re sure you want more serious contact with this person. Basic things have a huge impact.”
Safety precautions aside, people back on the market should not be afraid to put themselves out there. Edwards reminded me of this when I first started dating my wife by just being authentically myself and wanting her to want to like me.
“With our profiles, we’re trying to get people to show off their quirky side, show off stuff that makes you unique,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, if you’re looking for a genuine connection and you’ve built yourself up to be what you think they want you to be, it’s gonna get exhausting trying to live up to that, and you’re going to miss out on a connection that could be real by just being yourself.”
Learn more about Wingr by visiting their website. The app is free to download and available for iPhone and Android.