Tinder is making a key change to stop people matching with fakes
Following a successful pilot in Australia, the feature will now roll out in the UK
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Your support makes all the difference.Tinder is making a change to stop people from faking profiles.
The dating app is to give UK users the option to verify their identity, age and likeness on the platform as a way to confirm their authenticity.
Following a successful pilot in Australia and New Zealand, the feature will now roll out in the UK in the spring.
The tool gives users of the dating app the option to upload a video selfie and either their passport or driving licence as a way of confirming their age and likeness to the photos they add to their profile, proving that their page is authentic to potential matches.
Those who complete this process will be given a blue checkmark badge on their profile, identifying them as a fully verified user.
During its pilot scheme in Australia and New Zealand last year, Tinder said it saw a 67 per cent increase in matches for accounts that were verified compared to those that weren’t.
Rory Kozoll, senior vice president for product integrity at Tinder, said: “Giving users more confidence that their matches are authentic is one of the most valuable things we can do for our users. Safety is and remains a priority for us.
“We have released over 20 in-app safety features in the past few years as well as working with a number of partners, including leading NGOs, to promote safe dating. It drives our continued ambition to create a respectful and great experience for all.”
The news comes as Tinder, Hinge and other Match dating apps are being sued for having addictive features that encourage “compulsive” use.
A proposed class-action lawsuit filed in federal court in the Northern District of California on Valentine’s Day says Match intentionally designs its dating platforms with game-like features that “lock users into a perpetual pay-to-play loop” prioritising profit over promises to help users find relationships.
This, the suit claims, turns users into “addicts” who purchase ever more expensive subscriptions to access special features that promise romance and matches.
Match’s apps, according to the lawsuit against the company, “employs recognised dopamine-manipulating product features” to turn users into “gamblers locked in a search for psychological rewards that Match makes elusive on purpose.”
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