If you’ve ever used Tinder, you know finding love (or at least a date) online can be tricky, especially when some people aren’t who they say they are. To avoid this phenomenon called ‘’catfishing’’, Match Group, the company behind Tinder, is testing a new feature called Face Check in California, powered by FaceTec technology, aiming to make things a lot safer.
As Yoel Roth, Match Group’s head of trust and safety, told Axios, this tool goes beyond the existing ID Check (which verifies your age with official documents) by using facial scanning to make sure it’s really you behind the profile. So, let’s find out more about this new Tinder feature!
No more catfishing on Tinder!
In recent years, romance scams have increased significantly, causing millions in losses for dating app users like Tinder. To fight this and make users feel safer, Tinder’s parent company, Match Group, is rolling out new security measures. One of the most important is a facial recognition system called Face Check, which is currently being tested in California.
How will I be verified?
Starting this week, people signing up for Tinder in California will need to verify their identity by uploading a short video. This video is analyzed by facial recognition software that compares the moving image with the profile photos to make sure the person using the account is really who they say they are.
Face Check also verifies that the same face isn’t being used across multiple profiles to prevent fraud and “catfishing,” where someone pretends to be another person to deceive or scam others.
Your data protection
Once a user passes this verification, they receive a blue checkmark on their profile, signaling to others that the person has been authenticated and is real. Something you should know is that the video uploaded for verification will be deleted, but Tinder will keep two screenshots and an encrypted facial map, which cannot be reversed, to detect duplicate profiles in the future.
This measure protects privacy because the analysis is done locally on the device; neither Apple nor Tinder have access to the full videos or store them.
Face Check v. ID Verification
Face Check is different from the ID Check system Tinder launched in 2021. In that system, users upload an official document to prove they are at least 18 years old and that the information matches their profile. Face Check focuses on ensuring the person is authentic and not a fake account or bot.
Basically, the ID verification is used to make sure you are given the right information whereas the other one is used to verify the one on the pictures is you.
Importance of this feature
Millions of people have suffered from scams leading them to lose money. You might think this is done on other apps, but this is the reason why Tinder is reinforcing its security measures. The company wants its users to feel safe when they are using the app, not to feel unsure about if the person they like is real, or if they are being victims of a scam.
Previous experience in Canada and Colombia
Before rolling out in the U.S., Tinder launched Face Check in Canada and Colombia, where the results have been very positive. According to Yoel Roth, head of trust and safety at Match Group, the feature has helped reduce the presence of bad actors and improved the perception of profile authenticity.
This has reduced the number of frauds and increased safer experiences for people who are really looking for connections on these platforms. Currently, the feature is being tested in California to see how users react as well as in Canada and Colombia, and have the chance to expand it to other states or countries. We are witnessing more companies developing protection features to make their users’ experience safer, which is very important having in mind the dangers of the internet and technology used by people with bad intentions.
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