DateableWhat to check on your profile to protect your privacy
Hide your surname, workplace, suburb, phone and email from your profile. Once you meet someone in person and trust them, you can share more.
Your profile is a first impression, not a directory entry. Before you publish, remove anything a stranger could use to find you online or in person: your surname, employer, suburb, phone, email, or social handles. Once someone meets you and you trust them, you can share more.
Hide your name
Use a first name or a nickname on your profile, not your surname. A surname is the piece that lets someone find your social media, your workplace, your home address, or your family members. Choose a display name you use nowhere else. If your real first name is uncommon, consider using something similar but not exact.
This is separate from your verification. Dateable knows your real name; members do not need it until you decide to meet and trust them.
Keep your workplace private
Do not name your employer, your workplace, your industry, or your job title in your profile. A specific title like "Sales director at Telstra" is searchable. A generic description like "I work in tech" tells them less. Better still: save the details for a conversation once you have met.
The same goes for where you study, your university or college name, or a specific course. If someone is curious, they will ask.
Keep your location vague
Do not name your suburb, street, postcode or the specific suburb where you work or study. [Keep your address, date of birth, workplace and regular places private until you trust them 1.] If your profile shows you live in Perth, that is enough. Save the suburb for a first meeting plan.
Street signs, house numbers and landmark businesses in your photos are also a map. Before you upload, check that your background does not show where you are.
Remove all contact details
Do not put your phone number or email in your profile. These belong in direct messages with someone you trust. Messaging through Dateable is the right place for early conversations, which is why the app exists. Dateable's messaging keeps you safe. A person can report you or block you in one tap. Once you move off the app to text, email or call, you lose that protection.
If someone asks for your number before you have met, that is a sign they want to bypass Dateable's report and block system. You can offer your number once you have met and decided to see them again. This protects you if something goes wrong.
Think twice about social media links
Do not link to your Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or other social accounts unless you are ready for someone to find your full name, your family, your history and your location. If you want people to see more of you, upload more photos to your private album on Dateable instead. [You control who sees your private photos 1.] A member must ask permission to see them, and you can say no.
Be careful with your interests
List hobbies and interests, but not ones that point to a single place or group. "I love tennis" is fine. "I play at Claremont Tennis Club on Thursday nights" is a schedule and a location. "I go to the 6am spin class at SoulCycle in Subiaco" tells someone exactly where and when to find you.
The same logic applies to gyms, clubs, churches, regular restaurants and pubs. You can mention them once you have met someone and decided whether to trust them with more detail.
Check your photos
Photos are often where identifying details slip through. Before uploading, look at the background. Can someone see:
- Street signs, house numbers or recognisable landmarks
- Your car's number plate or unusual features
- The name of a business or workplace
- Distinctive tattoos or birthmarks that only your family would know
- Photos tagged with a location on any social platform
If yes, crop the photo, blur the detail, or choose a different photo. [Once shared, a sexualised photo can never be completely deleted and may be used for threats or extortion 1.] The same applies to any identifying photo. Once it is out of your control, someone could use it to find you, your workplace, or your family.
Ask yourself: would a stranger need this?
Before you publish a detail, ask whether a stranger needs it. Your surname? No. Your employer? No. Your suburb? No, but your city is fine. Your phone number? No. These details matter once you have met someone in person and chosen to trust them. Until then, keep those details on your side of the screen.
I keep my profile clear of details that would let a stranger find me online. Once I meet someone and like them, I am happy to share more.
Learn more about keeping your private photos safe and read what others have learned about privacy in dating. Both will show you how to protect your privacy across your whole profile.
Sources
- Sexual Assault Resource Centre, North Metropolitan Health Service (Government of Western Australia) (2021). Safe online dating.
