Tinder's New Feature Under Fire for Exposing Facebook Friends on the Dating App

Tinder Social allows groups of friends to connect via the app.

ByABC News
April 28, 2016, 10:46 AM

— -- If your friends don't know you're on Tinder, they may find out soon.

Tinder Social, a new feature that allows friend groups to match with other friend groups, is being tested in Australia but not everyone is thrilled with the idea. When creating a group, users are shown a list of Facebook friends who are on Tinder and can be added to their posse -- meaning you'll finally know which of your friends also use the app.

It's not meant for group dating. The idea is to then swipe and match with other groups who are looking for something to do, chat with matches and find a place to meet, according to Tinder's team.

While the idea is being tested in a small group in Australia, it's expected to be rolled out globally soon. Tinder's team responded to the backlash over outing users by presenting a way to opt-out.

Tinder users with the new feature can keep their existence from friends private by opting out in the settings area of the Tinder app, although Tinder's blog notes your friends probably have an inkling you're on the app anyway.

"We are only testing it at this point, but it's important to note Tinder's not a secret considering 70 percent of users download Tinder because their friends recommend it," an update from the company said.