Latest news with #FaceTec
CNET
02-07-2025
- CNET
Tinder Users Must Start Logging in with Their Faces: It's About Catfishing and Much More
California Tinder users will find a new feature when they open up the dating app on July 7: A mandatory Face Check on their phones will be required before they can log into their profiles. The Face Check step will begin with a new request to record a video of your face, a more casual version of setting up Apple's Face ID login. Tinder will then run checks comparing your face data to your current profile pics and automatically create a small face badge for your profile. We know just how it works, because Tinder has already launched the feature in Canada and Colombia. The technology, powered by FaceTec, will keep biometric data of the user's face in encrypted form, but discard the scanning video for privacy. Tinder will be able to use the face data to detect duplicate accounts, in an effort to cut down on fake profiles and identity theft. Tinder's facial recognition rollout is also made to prevent catfishing, or people pretending to be someone else on Tinder to scam or blackmail them. But that also points to a deeper problem on the rise in dating apps -- a growing number of bots, many controlled by AI, are designed to glean personal information or fool users into scammy subscriptions, among other problems. Don't confuse the more in-depth Face Check with the earlier Tinder photo verification feature. Tinder Tinder's working against these bots on several fronts, including this Face Check push as well as ID Check, which requires a government-issued ID and other types of photo verification. There's no word yet on when Face Check will move beyond California. The dating app also recently released a new feature in June to enable double-dating with your friends, which Tinder reports is especially popular with Gen Z users. If you're worried about the latest hazards on Tinder, we have guide to safety practices. A representative for Tinder did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Miami Herald
01-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Tinder rolls out mandatory face verification for California users
West Hollywood-based Tinder is now requiring facial recognition scans for all users in California as part of its efforts to build trust among users and reduce the prevalence of scams and fraud that plague dating apps. The feature, called Face Check, prompts users to take a short video selfie that is used to verify their identity. The verification data allows Tinder, owned by Match Group, to check whether a person's face matches their uploaded photos. The scan is also used to check other photos on the app to detect if a user is impersonating someone else or operating duplicate accounts. The technology is from a company called FaceTec. Users' verification data will be stored for the lifetime of their Tinder account and deleted within 30 days of account closure. "As part of our continued efforts, we are always testing ways to deliver the best experience for our users to seek authentic connections," a Tinder spokesperson said. While Tinder already offers photo and ID verification features, they are optional. Face Check will be mandatory in some places in hopes of stopping bad actors and bots who rarely opt into voluntary verification measures. The new function is "about confirming that this person is a real, live person and not a bot or a spoofed account," said Yoel Roth, Match Group's vice president of trust and safety. Tinder has been adding safety features to help users feel more comfortable on the app, including "Are You Sure?" and "Does This Bother You?" prompts that pop up to police potentially unwelcome interactions, as well as newer additions like Share My Date. The timing of this pilot program comes as romance scams become more prevalent across the United States. Romance scammers typically create fake profiles on dating platforms or contact victims through social media platforms. They build relationships over time through frequent communication before fabricating emergencies and requesting money from their targets. With over 60 million Americans using online dating services in 2023, the stakes are significant. The Federal Trade Commission reported that romance scams cost victims more than $1.1 billion, highlighting the scale of the problem. Congressional action is also underway to address these concerns. The House of Representatives unanimously passed the Romance Scam Prevention Act on June 23, which would require dating apps to notify users when they have interacted with someone removed from the platform for fraudulent activity. Face Check is already being used in Canada and Colombia. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Los Angeles Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Tinder rolls out mandatory face verification for California users
West Hollywood-based Tinder is now requiring facial recognition scans for all users in California as part of its efforts to build trust among users and reduce the prevalence of scams and fraud that plague dating apps. The feature, called Face Check, prompts users to take a short video selfie that is used to verify their identity. The verification data allows Tinder, owned by Match Group, to check whether a person's face matches their uploaded photos. The scan is also used to check other photos on the app to detect if a user is impersonating someone else or operating duplicate accounts. The technology is from a company called FaceTec. Users' verification data will be stored for the lifetime of their Tinder account and deleted within 30 days of account closure. 'As part of our continued efforts, we are always testing ways to deliver the best experience for our users to seek authentic connections,' a Tinder spokesperson said. While Tinder already offers photo and ID verification features, they are optional. Face Check will be mandatory in some places in hopes of stopping bad actors and bots who rarely opt into voluntary verification measures. The new function is 'about confirming that this person is a real, live person and not a bot or a spoofed account,' said Yoel Roth, Match Group's vice president of trust and safety. Tinder has been adding safety features to help users feel more comfortable on the app, including 'Are You Sure?' and 'Does This Bother You?' prompts that pop up to police potentially unwelcome interactions, as well as newer additions like Share My Date. The timing of this pilot program comes as romance scams become more prevalent across the United States. Romance scammers typically create fake profiles on dating platforms or contact victims through social media platforms. They build relationships over time through frequent communication before fabricating emergencies and requesting money from their targets. With over 60 million Americans using online dating services in 2023, the stakes are significant. The Federal Trade Commission reported that romance scams cost victims more than $1.1 billion, highlighting the scale of the problem. Congressional action is also underway to address these concerns. The House of Representatives unanimously passed the Romance Scam Prevention Act on June 23, which would require dating apps to notify users when they have interacted with someone removed from the platform for fraudulent activity. Face Check is already being used in Canada and Colombia.
CBS News
30-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Tinder requires California users to verify their profiles using facial recognition
Tinder is testing out a new facial recognition feature as it seeks to reduce fraud and build trust among its customer base. The West Hollywood-based company, which is owned by online dating company Match Group, is now mandating that California users verify their identity through a feature called Face Check when setting up their accounts. The news was first reported by Axios. "Creating a fun and respectful environment where Tinder users can be their true selves is our priority," a Tinder spokesperson told CBS News. "As part of our continued efforts, we are always testing ways to deliver the best experience for our users to seek authentic connections." Powered by an underlying technology called FaceTec, the Face Check feature prompts users to take a short video of themselves which it then scans to make sure the person is who they say they are. It also tests whether a person's face matches their Tinder photos and examines other accounts to make sure no one else is using their likeness. Once verified, users get a blue checkmark on their profile. According to Tinder, verification data obtained during the face scans is stored for the lifetime of the person's account but gets deleted within 30 days after someone closes their account. "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," Yoel Roth, Match Group's head of trust and safety, told the outlet. Photo verification is already one of the safety features on Tinder, but users have to opt into it. Tinder's pilot comes amid a rise in "romance scams," in which people create fake online profiles in order to win over someone's trust, oftentimes to manipulate them into giving money. U.S. Justice Department and FBI officials told CBS News last year that there were more than 64,000 American victims of romance scams in 2023. Dating apps, including Tinder, are fertile ground for scams, according to various consumer protection sources including the FBI and Federal Trade Commission. In one case documented in the Netflix film "Tinder Swindler," a man duped a women into giving him millions of dollars. Tinder does not have any plans to expand the facial recognition technology beyond California at this time, a spokesperson for the company told CBS MoneyWatch. contributed to this report.
Axios
30-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Exclusive: Tinder to require Face Check for new users in California
Tinder is mandating new users in California verify their profiles using facial recognition technology starting Monday, executives exclusively tell Axios. Why it matters: The move aims to reduce impersonation and is part of Tinder parent Match Group's broader effort to improve trust and safety amid ongoing user frustration. How it works: The Face Check feature prompts users to take a short video selfie during onboarding. The biometric face scan, powered by FaceTec, then confirms the person is real and present and whether their face matches their profile photos. It also checks if the face is used across multiple accounts. If the criteria are met, the user receives a photo verified badge on their profile. The selfie video is then deleted. Tinder stores a non-reversible, encrypted face map to detect duplicate profiles in the future. Face Check is separate from Tinder's ID Check, which uses a government-issued ID to verify age and identity. "We see this as one part of a set of identity assurance options that are available to users," Match Group's head of trust and safety Yoel Roth says. "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." Between the lines: Tinder and its competitors have added safety features in recent years to crack down on fake accounts. Tinder introduced photo verification via real-time selfies in 2020 and expanded ID verification in 2021, which is mandated in some markets like Japan. Bumble released ID verification earlier this year. Zoom in: Tinder already launched Face Check in Colombia and Canada. Roth said the results were promising by reducing exposure to bad actors, decreasing bad actor reports and improving perceptions of authenticity. Roth said Tinder chose California as the next test market due to its size, demographics and strong online safety and privacy laws. Face Check is the latest in a series of improvements to Tinder's safety features like "Are You Sure?" and "Does This Bother You?" and new ones like " Share My Date," Roth said. Zoom out: Dating app companies are under pressure to improve business performance after weak earnings. Match Group announced it's cutting 13% of staff last month after declines in revenue and paying users. Bumble said it will cut about 30% of its staff. Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff has positioned safety as a core business strategy. In his first earnings call back in February, he likened the investment to Google working to rid YouTube of illegal videos and Facebook removing fake accounts. "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.
