Tinder Commits to ID Verification to Prevent Catfishing

Everyone likes being paired up with the perfect partner, but nobody likes to find out that their ideal match was faking it the entire time. Now, tinder is battling this nasty problem by introducing ID verification, so you can identify who's truly who on the platform.

Tinder's War Against “Catfishing”

The dating service developer posted its plans on the Tinder Newsroom. Because it's a dating service, it suffers from the same problem as any other: users who use fake photos and details to trick people into thinking they're someone they're not. This is called “catfishing,” and it's a huge problem in the dating scene.

The best way to tackle catfishing is to ask for people to supply ID. That way, they cannot lie about their looks or their age. However, this does have the privacy concern of people needing to surrender their sensitive personal information just to date others.

However, Tinder has now made the decision to go ahead with asking for ID. As Tinder puts it:

Tinder will take into consideration expert recommendations, input from our members, what documents are most appropriate in each country, and local laws and regulations, as it determines how the feature will roll out. The product will begin as voluntary, except where mandated by law, and based on the inputs received will evolve to ensure an equitable, inclusive and privacy-friendly approach to ID Verification.

This is news for Tinder users in the west, but it's actually been around in Japan for a while now. The system arrived in the country in 2019, as it's mandated by law that dating apps in Japan need to have an ID associated with them.

Of course, this system will also apply to any countries that enforce ID checks, whether they've already passed the law or intend to in the future. However, lovebirds outside of these countries can still upload their ID on a voluntary basis so that their matches know they're talking to the real deal.

Draining the Pool of Catfish on Tinder

If you've ever been caught in a catfish on Tinder, you'll be pleased to know those days are soon over. You can now ensure that people are who they say they are, and upload an ID yourself to give others peace of mind.