Tinder Rolls Out Facial Recognition For California Users To Fight Fake Profiles

Photo: Tinder

If you’re tired of swiping through bots, catfishers, and sketchy profiles, Tinder might finally be doing something about it. Starting this week, new users in California will be required to verify their identity using facial recognition technology. The move is part of a broader effort by Tinder’s parent company, Match Group, to clean up the app and boost user trust.

Meet Face Check: Tinder’s New Biometric Security Feature

Tinder’s latest feature is called Face Check, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: a biometric scan that uses facial recognition to confirm users are real. When signing up, new users will be prompted to take a short video selfie. That video is then analyzed using FaceTec’s AI to ensure the person is live, not a bot, and that their face matches the photos on their profile.

But it doesn’t stop there. Face Check also flags if the same face is being used across multiple Tinder accounts, a common tactic among scammers and impersonators.

If everything checks out, the user gets a Photo Verified badge, signaling authenticity to other users. While the video selfie is deleted after verification, Tinder keeps an encrypted, non-reversible face map on file to help spot duplicate profiles down the line.

Why Tinder Thinks This Tech Is a Game-Changer

Tinder already has an ID Check option that uses government-issued IDs to verify people’s age and identity. Face Check, however, is a separate layer of protection, focused on confirming that users are who they say they are visually, without needing official documents.

“We see this as one part of a set of identity assurance options that are available to users,” Roth told Axios. “Face Check… is really meant to be about confirming that this person is a real, live person and not a bot or a spoofed account,” says Yoel Roth, Head of Trust and Safety at Match Group.

Tested Abroad, Now Coming Stateside

Face Check isn’t untested. Tinder first rolled out the feature in Colombia and Canada, where Roth says the results were promising. The technology reportedly reduced user exposure to bad actors, cut down on scam reports, and boosted overall trust in the app.

California was chosen as the first U.S. market due to its large user base, diverse demographics, and strict privacy laws, making it an ideal place to gauge how American users react to this kind of verification process.

Photo: Tinder

A Growing Focus on Safety in Online Dating

Tinder has been steadily beefing up its safety features over the last few years. From photo verification in 2020 to ID checks in 2021, and features like “Are You Sure?” and “Does This Bother You?”, the platform is leaning hard into protecting users, especially as concerns over online impersonation, scams, and fake accounts grow.

Roth also mentioned a newer feature called “Share My Date”, designed to let users share date details with friends for added security.

The Business Behind the Upgrade

This move isn’t just about user safety, it’s also about good business. Match Group (which owns Tinder, Hinge, and other dating apps) is under pressure after recent revenue dips and declining paying user numbers.

Last month, Match Group announced it was cutting 13% of its workforce, while competitor Bumble revealed a 30% staff cut. New Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff is betting big on safety as a core business strategy.

“Even if in the short term, it has the effect of potentially reducing some top-line user metrics, we think it’s the right thing to do for the business,” Rascoff said on an earnings call. He compared it to tech giants like Google and Facebook cracking down on harmful or fake content on their platforms.

What’s Next: Could Face Check Go Nationwide?

Right now, Face Check is only mandatory for new users in California, but that could change soon. Tinder plans to monitor user reactions and determine whether to roll the feature out to more U.S. states.. or globally.

For men navigating the digital dating world, this move might mean fewer fake profiles and more genuine connections. And in a dating pool where authenticity is king, that’s a win.

While I think this is a great feature to help combat the numerous catfishers out there, at this point, nearly everyone who’s single is already on Tinder. So applying this only to “new users” seems like a big nothing burger. Only time will tell, I guess. 🤷‍♂️