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Tinder has announced the launch of its new Photo Verification feature, which includes an AI-powered update and video selfie requirement.

According to Tech Crunch, the new Photo Verification is to help users prove they aren’t a bot or catfisher on the dating app by taking video selfies that can be analyzed by AI against their photos. Previously, users were required to take a selfie as instructed by the app to compare against a profile photo, but Tinder is strengthening its process even further by requiring the video selfie, so there is no room for error.

The process for verification requires the user to complete a series of videos responding to questions or prompts, and then the AI tool scans the videos and compares them to the photos the user wants to include in their profile to see if they match. The AI tool uses 3D mapping of facial geometry for both the video and photos, according to Tech Crunch.

Image: Bumble

Dating app Bumble is dipping into politics again, this time in the U.K. The company has joined forces with Grazia magazine, UN Women UK, and celebrity Amy Hart to encourage legislators to change the proposed Online Safety Bill (OSB), which deals with the issue of cyberflashing.

The proposed bill’s language includes determining whether the cyberflasher (the person sending unsolicited nudes to someone without their knowledge or consent) had harmful intent, which Bumble says would be difficult to prove. Critics say that this also gives a lot of room for the accused to claim they sent these images as a “joke,” according to AOL.com.

In March, Bumble issued a press release acknowledging the milestone that the UK government agreed to make cyberflashing a criminal offense under the OSB. In the same release, they advocated that “to drive societal change, any new law must be based on non-consent.” The company argued that instead of focusing on the intent of the sender, the law should be focused on whether or not the recipient gave prior consent. 

Tinder unveiled several new safety features, including “Incognito Mode” where users can control their visibility as well as how they interact with others on the app. The new features were rolled out February 6th to coincide with Safer Internet Day.

According to Tech Crunch, “Incognito” is a bit more advanced than just being able to hide your profile – users who opt for this feature can still Like and Pass on potential matches, but only those they have “Liked” will be able to see them.

The new feature is available for paid subscribers for Tinder+, Gold and Platinum members only.

Major Australian news outlet ABC is providing tips for dating app users to prevent scammers from obtaining their personal information.

A report from the Australian Competition Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Scamwatch came out that dating app users lost $38 million to romance scammers on dating apps across the country in 2022 alone, alerting officials to a growing problem. Many dating app users have no idea how easy it is to gather information about a person from what they post in their profiles, so ABC obtained tips from security experts to help raise awareness. 

According to associate professor at Central Queensland University’s College of Information and Communication Technology Ritesh Chugh, scammers don’t need access to a lot of information. If they have a couple of pieces, such as your full name or birthdate, that could be enough for them to do some damage. And even if you aren’t posting this information to your profile, there are ways they can obtain it.

Chemistry Forever aims to “disrupt” the dating app market in India by offering AI Face Verification to curb the proliferation of fake profiles.

The new app is coming out strong in terms of security, which has plagued the dating app industry for years. According to The Hindustan Times, the app has had over 10,000 downloads in its first two months (it had a soft launch in September of last year). So far most of the profiles on the app are verified, though users have the choice to opt-in for Face Verification. 

According to the company’s website, the registration process is simple. After downloading the app, it asks the user to upload a recent profile photo (to be verified later in the process), and offers users “stars” for each completed step of the process to make their profiles more appealing and complete.

An Illinois Court will hear a case against Match Group’s Tinder app over how it collects and stores the biometric data of its users.

According to Global Dating Insights, the way Tinder stores sensitive data such as physical characteristics and body measurements violate the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Tinder (and parent company Match Group) failed to gather signed consent from Illinois users before retaining facial scans. This data is collected as part of Tinder’s photo verification feature, a new safety measure launched by the company to help reduce fake profiles and potential scammers on the app.

Illinois has specific regulations regarding not only the storage of the biometric data, but also disclosing information to the user about how that data will be handled and managed. Specifically, the plaintiffs allege that Tinder’s process poses a security risk because of what might happen if the data were to be obtained by hackers. As Global Dating Insights points out, biometric data is extremely sensitive data as it is a permanent identifier of the user, as opposed to passwords which can be changed.