Profiles

Face to Face, Tinder’s new in-app video chat feature, is rolling out around the world this month. The opt-in only feature was tested earlier this year in select markets, and now will be available in countries where the Tinder app is active. 

In order to use the new feature, a Tinder user has to be matched with someone and they both have to opt-in to the service to enable it. If someone you liked does not match with you, then Face to Face is not available to use with that person.

Facebook has announced the launch of Facebook Dating in Europe and the U.K. following a nine-month delay from its original debut, which was scheduled for Valentine’s Day.

The new service is part of the larger Facebook Platform, and operates much the same as it does in the U.S. and other parts of the world, according to Tech Crunch. Users can pull photos and Stories from Instagram to populate their profiles. They can also use the Secret Crush feature to identify Facebook friends and Instagram followers that you are interested in without them knowing. If you both choose each other, then you are matched and can begin chatting – otherwise, your secret crush will never know you chose them.

Dressing up for Halloween? You might want to reconsider your scary or political-themed ensemble and go for something funny, according to a new study from Dating.com.

The dating service surveyed its users to assess the differences a Halloween costume could make in attracting potential partners. Considering this is an election year in the U.S., political costumes might be popular, but it seems the vast majority of daters – 70% of respondents - are most attracted to people wearing funny costumes. 

Cute costumes came in a distant second at 18 percent, and scary costumes third at 13 percent. Political costumes were a definite no among both men and women. They were considered the least attractive costumes for 68 percent of men and 52 percent of women. So, if you were planning on dressing as Joe Biden or Donald Trump, you might want to come up with another plan.

A new report revealed that dating app scams in the UK had significantly increased during the summer as the coronavirus spread and lockdowns continued, and as more people turned to the apps for connection.

More than 600 reports of fraud a month were reported during June, July and August according to Sky News. In addition, there was a 26 percent increase in reported frauds overall during the past year. Since August of 2019, UK police have seen about 400 reports of fraud per month on average, with victims losing over 66 million pounds total over the past year.

The Meet Group has announced that it has added a 3D face authentication-powered verification badge to its platforms. The new badge will use AI technology in authenticating that the account belongs to a real person.

The activation process begins when a user chooses the badge, prompting them to take a selfie in that moment. The AI software from FaceTec then scans and confirms the authenticity of the selfie to “confirm the user’s physical living presence, and perform age estimation” according to Mobile ID World. This is a strategy to prevent underage users and those who engage in catfishing with fake profiles from using the app.

OkCupid is launching a new campaign dubbed “VILF” to engage users with the upcoming elections and to add a fun and risqué twist.

The dating app will provide a VILF badge users can display on their profiles to attract people who want to talk about politics, and to show their engagement with GOTV, or get out the vote. This year is a politically charged one in the U.S. with the Presidential election around the corner, and activists want to make sure people are registered to vote and that they cast their ballots.