Privacy

Imagine opening your dating app and being told you need to scan your face before you can keep using it. No scan, no matches. That’s not a future scenario, it’s already happening for Tinder users in the Netherlands.

As of April 2026, Tinder has made biometric face scans mandatory for users in the country. The move is designed to tackle one of online dating’s biggest frustrations: fake profiles. But while it promises a more authentic experience, it also raises an important question, how much of your personal data are you willing to trade for better matches?

According to a report from IamExpat, users must now complete a facial scan to continue using the app, with the feature becoming a required part of Tinder’s updated privacy policy.

How secure is your favorite dating app? According to a new study from the Business Digital Index, a staggering 75% of the 24 largest dating apps received a grade of D or F in cybersecurity—a mood-killer you didn’t swipe for.

Dating apps don’t just store your favorite selfies or witty first lines—they often hold deeply personal data: messages, orientation, even payment info. When security systems fail, the fallout can be devastating.

Dating app Hinge is taking payment processing for its app into its own hands, and out of the control of the App Store.

Hinge CEO Justin McLeod was recently interviewed on the Decoder podcast and said the company would like to introduce the new payment system by the end of the year.

This is big news for dating apps, and for developers in general who have litigated to bypass the monopoly-like hold Apple and Google have on their payment platforms. To make their apps available on the iOS App Store for users to download, Hinge has had to agree to giving a percentage of every purchase made by its users to Apple.

Randian Capital, an activist investor in Bumble, is urging the company to follow its “turnaround plan,” which also includes a potential sale.

The investor group spent six months analyzing Bumble’s business practices and is advocating for drastic change to be made because “the current trajectory is not working,” according to sources who spoke to Investing.com.

When asked about potential buyers, Randian mentioned one interesting company – Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and dominates the social media market. Meta is also currently the subject of an SEC investigation into the nature of its previous mergers, which are alleged to violate anti-trust laws, due to some internal correspondence among its executives.

Two major online safety groups have partnered to create a new industry standard for online dating in the wake of reports that dating app companies aren’t taking needed steps to protect users on their platforms.

The Cyber Rights Organization (CRO) and Online Dating and Discovery Association (ODDA) joined forces to educate industry leaders in different areas of safety including human rights, data privacy, and best business practices, according to DatingNews.com. The ODDA sets guidelines for dating app companies and alerts them to potential risks, while the CRO is a watchdog, and protects people who are using dating platforms.

“The alliance between CRO and ODDA is driven by mutual commitment to user safety in the digital dating sphere,” the ODDA said, according to DatingNews.com.

Bumble announced it has added ID Verification in addition to other new safety-related features to attract singles back to its app.

The new verification feature lets users submit a photo of a government-issued ID to prove they are who they say they are, and then they can earn a verified badge for their profile, according to Tech Crunch.

The female-centered app is appealing its core demographic with the announcement – focusing on its female clientele who are looking for more safety features on dating apps. ID Verification is available in 11 countries, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, France and India. The company intends to roll out in more countries in the coming months, according to The Seattle Times.