It’s like your online-dating-site bodyguard. ShieldMe-DS — the DS stands for Date Shield — is a new app launched this past Friday (available on Android and IOS) aimed at making all your sketchy hookups via Tinder et al less sketchy. First, let them reel you in by scaring the crap out of you:
The world just isn’t safe anymore. Think about it: anyone who has your mobile number can call you or text you any time they want, as often as they want to. It is not just angry ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends or friends who don’t understand that you may not want to be contacted at odd hours or at work, but hackers and identity thieves. Even the National Security Agency (NSA) can track your movements and listen to your conversations, with only your phone number.
Enter Date Shield (the makers of ShieldMe’s for physicians and corporate executives). They’re here to protect you by basically keeping your real phone number a secret (it’s basically the same service, different [kinda lame] logo):
With DS, you will never need to give your mobile number out to anyone again. Empowering the women of today to decide who calls her, when they call her, and if she no longer want to receive calls, DS gives its users the ability to deny access to anyone by simply deleting him or her. Even if a deleted contact tries calling DS user back, DS platform will ensure the call will not get through. DS not only shields users Mobile number it also shields their location using state of the art technology by preventing reverse Number look ups. DS gives the control back to you.
We like the idea of this, in theory: It’s protection, mostly for women, from creepy stalkers who can’t take no for an answer after a connection has been made. But we have a sneaking suspicion that it’ll be used more by jerks, mostly men, who want an easy way to just disappear after first-, second- or third-date sex is achieved. It also seems like a great app for people who want to pretend to be someone else, without a paper trail.
Targeted to users of “Tinder or POF or Grinder or even Meet.com or especially any of the adult dating websites,” ShieldMe-DS may have just made online hookups either much more safe or much more sketchy. Both?
Here are more details, if you’re interested:
- Prevent any reverse number look-ups (no one can find out where you live or work)
- Every connection Number is unique. Only between you and your Friend no one else can use that number.
- Prevent Hacking or Identity theft or any snooping.
- Enjoy your personal time without any disturbances.
- Complete control on who can call you when they call you and when they cant call you.
- Benefits
- Unlimited friends can be added to the app- Fair usage policy applies.
- Each friend will be assigned a unique one on one paired number.
- Unlimited talk time, No limits on talk time talk all you want DS doesn’t charge its users for any air time, in coming or out going or numbers.
- Works everywhere, your home and office even when you are on the road, if you got coverage DS has you covered.
- Works seamlessly on 2G – 3G – 4G LTE networks and its NOT VOIP so crystal clear
Phrased better: the percentage of internet dates that end in a lay is very low compared to the percentage of internet dates that end in rejection; online dating is a woman’s game, so most of the time a woman is doing the rejecting. Even if churlish vs. honorable personal character is evenly dispersed between genders, women will have far greater opportunity to take the easy-yet-scummy way out of an uncomfortable situation.
Ahem. I have to disagree with your math on who’s going to use this app to jerkiest effect.
Most men will strike out most times when it comes to internet dating. Let’s say – since we lack actual figures – that half of the minority of men men who do get laid from internet dates are interested in more. Let’s also give the average guy the benefit of the doubt and assume that half of all disinterested guys will be respectful enough to end things properly.
That’s a fairly small minority of guys using this app to give women the slip.
… whereas every one of those most-of-the-time strike-out dates gives a woman the opportunity to pull the same. Unfortunately flaking has become the modern woman’s de facto mode of rejection these days. And most of the guys who get flaked on won’t be stalkers – they’ll just be regular guys who she doesn’t have the basic courtesy to reject.
Come on. There’s NO WAY churlish players are going to outnumber no-manners women here.