Tinder Adds New AI & Video Verification To Keep Catfishers & Bots At Bay

With the dating world becoming increasingly integrated online, one of the downsides to the widening pool of potential love matches is the possibility of bots and catfishers lurking around.
 
Tinder, one of the more prominent dating apps out there, has just rolled out a new verification system to keep these unwanted profiles away.
 
Previously, anyone looking for love on the app had to submit a picture of themselves doing various poses to be deemed a match to the images they would later use on their account. However, photos won’t cut it anymore; a simple video selfie will be required instead.
 
While that would be a better way to match the person to the account, it also comes at a time when artificial intelligence can now conjure up some hyperrealistic images of a person. Bots and other catfishers could use this to create accounts intended for spamming the site or stalking other users.
 
The video counteracts this, as it is stronger proof that the person is truly alive. However, the process is still optional and will only apply to those who want to be Photo Verified.
 
With that, Tinder mentions that a third party will be responsible for handling the video verification instead of being analyzed in-house. The clips will be matched against 3D mappings of the user’s still image to confirm it is them.
 
Future newcomers will be prompted with the new verification requirements, and current Photo Verified members will soon be asked to upgrade to the latest version if they want to keep their blue checkmarks.
 
At a later date, there will also be an option for users to only see other Photo Verified accounts, and they can even ask Matches to Photo Verify before sending a message.
 
 
 
[via TechCrunch and Fast Company, cover image via Tinder]