Tinder rolls out mandatory face verification for California users
Tinder, based in West Hollywood, now requires facial recognition analyzes for all California users as part of their efforts to establish confidence between users and reduce the prevalence of scams and frauds that afflict dating applications.
The functionality, called face check, encourages users to take a short video selfie that is used to check their identity. The verification data allow Tinder, belonging to match Group, to check if a person’s face corresponds to his downloaded photos. The analysis is also used to check other application photos to detect if a user imitates someone else or operates double accounts.
Technology comes from a company called Facetec. User verification data will be stored for the life of their Tinder account and deleted within 30 days of closing the account.
“As part of our continuous efforts, we always test ways to provide the best experience for our users looking for authentic connections,” said a spokesperson for Tinder.
Although Tinder already offers photo verification and identification features, they are optional. Facial control will be compulsory in certain places in the hope of stopping bad actors and bots which rarely opt for voluntary verification measures.
The new function is to “confirm that this person is a real living person and not a bot or a usurped account,” said Yoel Roth, Vice-President of the Match Group’s Confidence and Security.
Tinder has added security features to help users feel more comfortable on the application, including “are you sure?” And “Do you mind?” Invite who appears to the police of potentially undesirable interactions, as well as more recent additions as sharing my date.
The time of this pilot program occurs when romantic scams become more widespread in the United States. Romantic crooks generally create false profiles on meeting platforms or contact victims via social media platforms. They establish relationships over time thanks to frequent communication before making emergencies and asking their targets money.
With more than 60 million Americans using online dating services in 2023, the issues are important. The Federal Trade Commission said that romantic scams cost more than $ 1.1 billion, stressing the extent of the problem.
The action of the congress is also underway to respond to these concerns. The House of Representatives unanimously adopted the Romantic scam prevention law On June 23, which would require dating applications to inform users when they interacted with a person withdrawn from the platform for a fraudulent activity.
Facial control is already used in Canada and Colombia.
