Tinder says goodbye to catfish with its new security feature

Tinder is taking an important step towards the safety of its users when implementing a new feature that could end the catfish era on your dating platform. This measure, which expands identity verification programis primarily intended to ensure that profiles on the app are authentic, thus making it difficult for users to impersonate someone else, a practice that has been common and has facilitated scams in the past.

The company announced that it is extending its identity verification program to users in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil and Mexico. This additional feature will require users to confirm the authenticity of their profiles through a process that includes submitting a selfie video and official identification, such as a valid driver’s license or passport. A third-party provider will check if the face in the selfie video matches the user’s ID photo and profile photosin addition to verifying the date of birth provided.

Protection against Artificial Intelligence

This movement is crucial at a time when artificial intelligence is making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between what is real and what is fake online. Additionally, Tinder’s decision comes after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that romance scams cost victims a staggering $1.3 billion in 2022, with a reported median loss of $4,400.

Initial pilot of the identity verification program in Australia and New Zealand revealed that verified users experienced a 67% increase in matches compared to those who were not, underscoring the effectiveness of this measure in improving user experience and security.

It’s important to distinguish this new feature from Tinder’s previous photo verification, which focused on proving that users were neither robots nor catfish. While photo verification required users to take photos of themselves, following specific instructions, identity verification takes this process a step further by requiring a selfie video and official identification.

Users who complete photo verification will now receive a badge with a blue camera icon, while those who complete identity verification will receive a badge with the blue ID icon. Those who complete both processes will earn a blue check mark, indicating a higher level of authenticity.

Greater security

By incorporating this feature, Tinder seeks to provide its users with greater peace of mind when interacting on the platform, reducing the chance of them encountering scammers or catfishes. This move also reflects a broader trend toward implementing stronger security measures in the online dating space, especially in response to the rise in scams and fake profiles.

While this move may not come as a surprise to some, given that Tinder had announced plans to roll out identity verification globally in 2021, its expansion to key countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Mexico is a significant step in the right direction. With the increasing prevalence of online scams and the increasing sophistication of catfishing, identity verification is presented as an essential tool to protect users and ensure a safer and more authentic dating experience on the Tinder platform.

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