40% of them chose not to meet the person
A recent study has shown that 60% of dating app users in India do online research before meeting a digital match.
The study by cybersecurity company Avast was released on Friday, February 12, 2021, just days before Valentine’s Day.
The study took place between January 1, 2021, and February 8, 2021. Around 1,300 Indian Avast users participated.
The findings show that 60% of Indian dating app users research their matches before meeting them in-person.
Google and social media are the most popular searching locations for users to look up their matches.
Of this group, 40% of them chose not to meet the person based on what they found online. Some chose not to because they could not find anything.
Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn were among the social media platforms used by Indian dating app users, as well as search engines such as Google and Bing.
Some even went a step further by performing a reverse image search using their match’s profile picture.
According to the study, the reasons for Indian dating app users taking these precautions include wanting to learn more about their match and verifying that they are actually real.
Other motivations include fact-checking what their match has told them in previous conversations about themselves.
Dating app users also wanted to see how their matches interacted online.
In a statement, Petra Moravcova, Consumer Insights Expert at Avast, said:
“Online dating means we eventually have to reveal a lot of personal information to our potential dating partners, and to the dating service provider as well.
“What information we decide to share and how we do this is critical for maintaining both information security and personal safety, both from the provider and potential matches.”
According to Moravcova, the study showed that 24% of Indian dating app users ensured that their meeting spot is a public place.
Also, 37% of respondents either told a family member or friend who they are meeting or shared their live location with them.
Moravcova added:
“It is great to see that users in India are putting in practice security measures like meeting in public places or sharing details with a friend or family member ahead of the date.”
The study also showed that 25% of people choose a familiar place as the location for their in-person date.
Fourteen per cent even asked a family member or a friend to be at the same location at the same time as the date.
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