Love in translation: How regional language accessibility is reshaping online dating safety | Feelings News

In a diverse country like India, where over thousands of dialects are spoken, language can be a barrier for many — especially in the world of digital dating. Today, as dating apps grow beyond metros and penetrate Tier II and Tier III cities, the need for safety guidelines in regional languages has become even more important.To address this, Tinder, in collaboration with the Centre for Social Research (CSR), has launched its Dating Safety Guide in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, and Bengali. Originally introduced in English, the guide has already recorded over one million views and 50,000 downloads. localising this resource, Tinder aims to make online dating safer and more accessible for young adults, particularly those more comfortable with their native languages.
Dr Yoel Roth, vice president of trust and safety at Match Group, said, “For Safer Internet Day, we’re launching the Tinder Dating Safety Guide in multiple languages, empowering young daters in India with essential tools and tips. Partnering with CSR, we’re reinforcing our commitment to stronger safety standards across our platforms.”
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Navigating dating apps in India
For many users, safety remains a big concern when using dating apps. Kalpit M, 30, a media consultant, stressed the need for regional language support: “Many friends prefer their native language and feel disconnected when safety features are English-only. They miss warning signs or struggle to report issues.”
He says that he follows a strict verification process before meeting someone in person. “First, I check if their profile is verified. Then, I look them up on social media. If I’m still unsure, I request a video call. This helps verify their identity and assess our chemry before meeting,” he notes.
Anjana P V, 26, also raised concerns about unverified profiles. She expressed, “Many people skip verification, which is worrying. A guy can pretend to be a girl and chat with you without you knowing.” She then recounted an unsettling experience where someone misrepresented themselves: “He seemed genuine at first, but later, I discovered he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t.”
Providing safety instructions in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Urdu, and other regional languages has noticeably improved user awareness about potential risks and encouraged safer interactions. (Source: Freepik)
How are the dating apps stepping up to solve the issue? 
Recognising the importance of language accessibility, dating platforms are integrating regional language support into their safety measures. Kaushik Banerjee, co-founder of Flutrr, a vernacular dating app, said: “The surge in digital dating beyond metro cities has increased the demand for regional language support. Our platform offers services in eight languages to ensure inclusivity.”
Flutrr’s safety measures include:Story continues below this ad

Ghost Mode for Female Users: Allows women to browse discreetly.
Private Mode on Chat: Ensures conversations remain accessible only to involved users.
AI-Powered Profanity Filter: Automatically detects and blocks inappropriate language.

Banerjee also said that Flutrr prioritises transliteration over direct translation to maintain cultural relevance in safety guidelines.
Ravi Mittal, CEO of QuackQuack, shared insights into user preferences: “Most users navigate the platform in English, while some prefer Hindi, especially for customer support. We ensure safety guidelines are available in both languages to maintain accessibility.”
QuackQuack employs AI-driven safety measures such as photo verification, bio screening, gender authentication, and fake profile detection. “Our AI framework filters out suspicious activity, while a human moderation team cross-checks flagged profiles,” Mittal said.
Hammad Rahman, CEO of NikahForever, agrees that language accessibility is “vital to ensure that safety guidelines and features are clearly understood” users from diverse linguic backgrounds. He adds, “We’ve observed a significant and growing demand for regional language support, especially among non-English-speaking communities. Providing safety instructions in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Urdu, and other regional languages has noticeably improved user awareness about potential risks and encouraged safer interactions.”Story continues below this ad
However, not all platforms consider regional language support a pressing concern. Paul Keable, chief strategy officer at Ashley Madison, said, “While we do see increased demand for regional language support in certain markets, our platform is currently offered in English to our user base in India. We haven’t had major feedback indicating it’s been an issue or concern for our Indian membership.”
Keable also pointed out they have introduced various safety features to address these concerns from users across the globe. “For instance, members can hide their profile and be invisible to other members, ensuring their privacy and discretion. We also have two-step verification, to add an extra layer of security to member accounts.”
AI faces challenges in adapting to India’s linguic diversity. (Source: Freepik)
AI’s role in enhancing dating safety
With dating platforms expanding their safety features, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a vital role in user safety. Ravindra Baviskar, director of sales engineering at Sophos India and SAARC, said, “AI detects scams, harassment, and fake identities analysing behavioural patterns. Machine learning can flag bulk messaging or sudden shifts to off-platform chats. Computer vision tools compare profile photos with real-time selfies to spot catfishing.”
AI also enables real-time monitoring of messages to block explicit content before it reaches users. “In a multilingual country like India, Natural Language Processing (NLP) helps detect unsafe interactions in regional languages and even mixed-language scripts like Hinglish,” Baviskar said.Story continues below this ad
However, AI faces challenges in adapting to India’s linguic diversity. “Many Indian languages are ‘low-resource,’ meaning there’s limited training data for AI to understand slang, context, and tone. Code-mixed communication like Hinglish further complicates detection,” he added. AI must also consider cultural context, as offensive content in one region may not be considered as offensive in another.
Empowering users through education
Tinder’s Dating Safety Guide covers key aspects, including:

Spotting Red and Green Flags: Encouraging respectful communication and clear intentions.
Making Consent Clear: Stressing that consent must be explicit and enthusiastic.
Using Smart Safety Tools: Highlighting features like Photo Verification, Unmatch, and Block Contacts.
Reporting Bad Behaviour: Explaining how to report harassment or inappropriate actions through the app.

Jyoti Vadehra, Digital Trust and Safety Lead at CSR, emphasised the guide’s importance: “We hope this reaches a wider audience, and that it empowers individuals, particularly women, to navigate online dating confidently and safely.”
The road ahead: Shaping a safer dating culture
While dating apps introduce innovative safety features, creating a safer digital dating culture requires more consent and collective effort from both users and the maker of these apps.Story continues below this ad
Users like Anjana have suggested improvements, such as “more options for video calls” and policies to ensure “psychological well-being of people.”
“I believe dating apps in India urgently need AI-powered scam detection to identify suspicious patterns before users get hurt. Having faced deceptive profiles myself, I’d appreciate automated verification systems that can flag inconsencies,” Kalpit said.
As dating apps expand into Tier II cities, according to him, comprehensive regional language support isn’t just convenient, it’s essential for safety. “Voice-based interfaces would help less tech-savvy users navigate safely. Localised safety tips reflecting cultural contexts would make a huge difference in protecting vulnerable users,” he said.
Combining AI advancements, regional language support, and educational initiatives, can be a game-changer for these online platforms, as they can help ensure users across linguic and cultural backgrounds feel secure while navigating the online dating world.