Key Takeaways
- In an effort to thwart romance scammers and bots, Tinder is using facial recognition technology called Face Check for new Californian users.
- Face Check’s facial recognition maps ensure that each Tinder user is who they say they are, and not a catfish, scammer, or AI-generated bot.
- With romance scams rising in frequency, online daters want to know that the apps will keep them and their private info safe and sound.
Californians looking for love will now use facial recognition technology to confirm their identity when they sign up for Tinder.
The feature, which is called Face Check, is part of Tinder’s response to bots and scammers, which have made dating app connections increasingly unreliable.
Although photo verification already exists on Tinder, until now, a user had to opt in to use it. Now, Face Check is mandatory for Californians who sign up for Tinder.
Romance scams, AI-generated profiles, and bots are popular headline fodder these days, and dating app users are more aware of the dangers of online dating than ever before. They expect dating apps to respond to these dangers by providing innovative solutions.
With Face Check, Tinder is doing exactly that. This new technology is mandated as part of Tinder’s ongoing mission to streamline and strengthen its trust and safety protocols. In fact, Tinder’s parent company, Match Group, has made trust and safety a priority in recent years.
“We see this as one part of a set of identity assurance options that are available to users,” said Yoel Roth, the head of Match Group’s Trust & Safety team, referring to Tinder’s “Are You Sure?”, “Does This Bother You?”, and “Share My Date” features.
“Face Check … is really meant to be about confirming that this person is a real, live person and not a bot or a spoofed account,” Roth said.
What Is Facial Recognition Technology?
In this case, Face Check is a biometric scan that analyzes each new user’s facial features based on video selfies and determines whether they’re a real person, and not an AI-generated image or a catfish.
These three-dimensional selfies are analyzed by the software company FaceTec, which confirms three things: the user’s existence, their identity, and whether the same face is used in other accounts. This helps to quickly identify profiles that use fake photos or promote a false identity.
Face maps, which are like facial fingerprints, are non-reversible and encrypted, which Tinder suggests will help prevent catfishing and profile duplication.
Data privacy is another hot-button issue for online daters, and understandably so — who wants their personal info, including their facial scans, ending up in the wrong hands?
The user’s selfie video is deleted when it has been thoroughly vetted by Face Check, but Tinder stores verification data, including facial scans, until the user’s account is deactivated, in which case their personal data will be deleted within 30 days.
There’s an incentive for users beyond ID verification. Tinder will give a Verified photo badge to users who pass facial recognition, boosting their credibility on the app. The more Tinder users have a Verified photo badge of their profile, the more comfortable users get interacting with others on the app.
Users Want To Feel Safe and Protected on Dating Apps
Online daters want to know that the platforms they depend on to make real connections are doing everything they can to protect their data and their safety. Otherwise, they’re less likely to pay for apps’ premium features or subscriptions — the primary moneymakers for most dating apps.
Today’s daters also crave authentic connections, and they don’t want to second-guess the validity or safety of these connections. It’s a problem too many daters have had to deal with in recent years.
“Confidence fraud, or romance scams, can happen to anyone at any time, said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do.” The total losses in California hit a high in 2023, when 2,000 people reported losing $100 million to romance scams.
With this in mind, dating apps need high-tech defense systems — such as Face Check — in place if they want to outsmart the scamming experts. There’s no better place to start than California, where Tinder highlighted the state’s diverse demo and strong online safety laws.
It’s a response not only to growing consumer concerns about trust and safety, but about how companies react to consumer dissatisfaction. ID verification is not a new concept — The Face Check is merely its most recent iteration — but Face Check assures users that Tinder is willing to innovate if it means keeping users safe.
Promising experiences in Colombia and Canada led Tinder to launch The Face Check in California. Tinder also has a feature called ID Check, which confirms user identities when they submit their government-issued IDs.
Only time will tell if Face Check is successful in California. But considering Match Group’s dedication to safety and innovation, it’s only a matter of time before all online daters have to take mandatory video selfies.
