Online dating apps are the norm for Gen Z and Millennials looking for relationships/hook-ups, but young teens are also illegally using the apps.

Online dating apps are the norm for Gen Z and Millennials looking for relationships/hook-ups, but young teens are also illegally using the apps.While apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble are strictly for users 18 and over, YPulse’s Dating and Relationships report data shows 11% of 13-17-year-olds say they’ve used a dating app to date or flirt. Bumble shared that “the company uses ‘automated and live verification procedures’ to block users under 18 and prevent them from rejoining” and although many apps ask to confirm users are of age, they don’t have strict measures to confirm so. Match Group, which owns Tinder and Hinge, say they use “‘technology including AI’ to search for suspicious language ‘that indicates a user may be underage,’” but don’t go into detail about how it actually works. And the reality is that it’s easy for teens to lie about their ages to create profiles. While many Gen Z and Millennials are using dating apps like they’re using social media: to browse around and keep them entertained, they can still be dangerous territory for underage users who are not prepared for the interactions that they’re having with the adults they meet there. (The Atlantic)