Tinder Launches Mandatory Facial Verification to Filter Out Bots and Scammers
Tinder is rolling out a new feature that requires new users in the U.S. to verify their identity with a face scan. The feature, called Face Check, aims to keep bots, fake profiles and scammers off the platform.
How Face Check Works
When someone signs up for Tinder, they will now be asked to record a short video selfie. This video is used to create an encrypted “face map”. According to Match Group Tinder’s parent company the video is deleted after verification. What remains is a mathematical hash of your facial features.
Tinder will compare that hash to profile photos and check if a face is used across multiple accounts. If matches are found, the account may be flagged.
The process is required for new users in California first, then it will expand to other U.S. states.
Why This Change?
Online dating platforms have long struggled with fake accounts, bots and romance scams. These bad actors create fake profiles, build trust and then try to scam users for money. Tinder says that 98% of its moderation work targets fake or spam accounts.
In earlier markets like Canada, Australia and India where similar tools were tested, Tinder reported a 40–60% drop in reports of bad actors.
Match Group’s Head of Trust and Safety, Yoel Roth, explained:
“You can get new phone numbers, new email addresses, new devices you can’t really get a new face.”
Privacy and Concerns
While Tinder says actual facial images are not stored, and that what remains is an encrypted hash, some users worry about privacy. The face-map remains linked to the user’s account and can be used to check future signup attempts.
Tinder says the video is deleted once verification is complete, and that the hash cannot be reversed to reconstruct a face. Still, experts say biometric data—even encrypted—raises questions about how it is stored, used and protected.
What This Means for Users
If you’re a new Tinder user in California (and soon other states), you will need to complete Face Check before you can use the service. That may slow down signup a bit.
Existing users are not immediately affected under this rollout. Tinder says it is focusing first on new account creation, which is where most bots and scams enter.
For users, this could mean better safety. A verified badge might mean you are more likely to connect with a real person. But you may also face extra steps in the signup process and have to decide how comfortable you are with using biometric verification.
Industry and Market Context
Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps in the world, but it has faced challenges. Paying users dropped by about 7% in 2024, and younger users have more options than ever.
By introducing Face Check, Tinder is trying to make safety a competitive edge. If it works, other apps may follow.
At the same time, Tinder’s push reflects growing pressure from regulators, users and the market to take scams seriously.
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