Tinder’s Face Check Security Scan Comes to the US
Tinder has begun rolling out a new feature called Face Check – a mandatory face-scan verification – for new users in California, intended to deter bots, catfishing, and duplicate accounts. Unlike the optional ID Check that uses government-issued photo IDs, Face Check requires users to take a brief video selfie. This live scan is processed via FaceTec’s biometric tools, which verify that the user matches their profile photos and is a real, present individual.
Face Check follows Tinder’s successful pilots in Canada and Colombia, where early reports indicated improved perceptions of authenticity and a drop in bad-actor incidents. Match Group’s head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, described it as “one part of a set of identity assurance options” designed to affirm real user presence and reduce impersonation.
Upon satisfactory verification, users receive a profile badge signaling authenticity. Tinder then discards the original video but retains an encrypted “face map” – a one-way biometric template used only to identify duplicate profiles in the future. The feature will be gradually expanded to users outside California, pending an assessment of user feedback and effectiveness .
Face Check follows Tinder’s successful pilots in Canada and Colombia, where early reports indicated improved perceptions of authenticity and a drop in bad-actor incidents. Match Group’s head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, described it as “one part of a set of identity assurance options” designed to affirm real user presence and reduce impersonation.
This move comes as dating platforms face increasing pressure to mitigate fake profiles and combat AI-generated or manipulated content. While some users might be hesitant to provide biometric data, Tinder argues the approach enhances user experience and trust while maintaining privacy protections by deleting raw videos post-verification.
Tinder will monitor both effectiveness and user acceptance, determining whether to roll it out more broadly across the U.S. This step marks a notable escalation in the industry’s use of biometric verification to ensure safety and authenticity in online dating.
