Tinder face verification will be mandatory for new users in US

SAN FRANCISCO – Tinder, the world’s most popular dating platform, will soon require all new users in the US to verify their identity through a biometric video face scan.

The verification feature, called Face Check, requires daters to take a short video selfie to confirm they are physically present and that their face matches what’s shown on their profile.

Members who complete the process will receive a “Photo Verified” badge visible to other users. 

The security measure will roll out nationwide in the coming months, parent company Match Group said on Oct 22 in a statement. It’s already in place in California, along with seven countries, including Colombia, Canada, Australia and India.

“We’ve tested Face Check extensively and are confident in its positive impacts on the Tinder ecosystem,” said Match chief executive officer Spencer Rascoff, who is also the head of Tinder.

Dating app companies like Tinder have stepped up verification processes in recent years in a bid to deepen consumer trust, even if it means losing some users in the short term. Rival Bumble has also rolled out ID verification to prioritise ridding its platform of bad actors and building community trust. 

The companies have faced a persistent decline in paying users and executives have said ecosystem health, along with product changes, are key to turning their businesses around.

In its statement, Match said that during testing, Face Check led to a 60 per cent decrease in exposure to potential bad actors and a 40 per cent reduction in reports involving such people when used alongside other safety tools.

In April, Tinder also announced a partnership with the Sam Altman-backed start-up Tools for Humanity to use its eyeball-scanning devices for age verification, starting with a pilot program in Japan. BLOOMBERG