Tinder profile verification will now be a requirement in Australia. The move has been taken to reduce catfishing on the dating platform.
Users will now have the opportunity to take a selfie to confirm their profile is genuine, and will be awarded with a blue tick, visible to other users.
According to a report by Daily Mail, Tinder will use “human-assisted AI technology” for the verification process. The verification process will compare the photos uploaded on the user’s profile with the user’s face in real-time and determine whether the person is genuine or not.
Rory Kozol, Head of Trust and Safety Product at Tinder, believes that the new security feature will make the users feel safer.
In a statement to Gizmodo, Rory said: “Every day, millions of our members trust us to introduce them to new people, and we’re dedicated to building innovative safety features powered by best-in-class technology that meet the needs of today’s daters.”
The security move is a timely measure, with romance fraud reports rising by 26% in 2020. Over 600 romance fraud scams are being reported every month (figures taken from June, July, and August), with the average victim of romance fraud losing £10,000. Losses reported by victims between August 2019 and August 2020 totalled £66,335,239.