Goodbye catfishing — Tinder rolls out video identity verification

3 years ago 2

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Tinder is rolling out an AI-powered update for its Photo Verification feature, requiring a video selfie rather than the photos it needed in the past.

Before the update, Tinder users could take pictures of themselves, posing as instructed by the platform, to verify their identity to prove to others that they’re neither a catfisher nor a bot.

The new model requires users to complete a series of video prompts, which the AI then uses to verify that the person in the video matches the person in the profile photo.

Tinder told TechCrunch that it is working with a third-party company to manage the video verification process. However, it declined to specify the vendor’s name.

The platform will later add new features to allow users to filter recommendations by Photo Verified-only members through their Message Settings.

It will also let users ask Matches to Photo Verify before they can send a message.

Tinder Gold subscribers will also get the option to filter their “Likes” page to show Photo Verified members only.

The company says the updated Photo Verification feature will start rolling out today, while the ability to limit messages to “Photo Verified Members” only will arrive in the “coming months”.

Existing Photo Verified members will soon receive prompts in the app to upgrade to the latest Photo Verification version if they want to stay verified.

The update arrives at a time when it has become far more accessible for users to leverage AI tools to create fake profile photos and personas, meaning the video verification could help to curb catfishing on the platform.