Tinder’s catfish detector is now available in the UK
Passing the photo verification test will earn you a blue checkmark.
Meeting someone you connected with online can be awkward. It’s even worse when that person looks nothing like their photos. Tinder’s Photo Verification feature prompts a user to pose for two real-time selfies and uses AI to compare them with their existing pictures. If it’s a match, they get a blue checkmark on their profile, which should provide some level of assurance that the person isn’t a catfish. The feature has been available in select US markets since January, but starting today, it’s rolling out across the UK, too.
To verify your profile, tap the profile icon, and then tap the gray checkmark next to your name and age. Select “Verify your profile” and you’ll be shown a pose to copy. Take a selfie and submit it for review. You’ll have to take photos in two different poses to earn that blue checkmark. While the feature currently uses a combination of human labor and AI to match the photos, Tinder hopes AI will be able to handle the entire workflow in the future.
Tinder says that Photo Verification is meant to enhance the safety of members and ensure the authenticity of profiles. Predators have used online dating apps to find victims, and while this won’t necessarily stop them, Tinder users can at least be assured that a verified profile isn’t a complete fabrication. Tinder has verified profiles in the past, but you virtually had to be a low-level celebrity to do so. This process should make it easier to earn trust -- and hopefully it cuts down on catfishing.
