Tinder is introducing a new feature to crack down on catfishing

Tinder has become a dating wasteland, but once in a while, a real catch comes along, you swipe right, hoping the next person you date might be your last, but of course, it’s too good to be true: you’ve been catfished.

What is catfishing?

Anyone who has tried online dating has undoubtedly encountered a catfish of some kind; there’s even a whole MTV show about it. But, for those who have yet to experience catfishing (congratulations, by the way), it’s essentially the act of luring people into a relationship via fake profiles and fictional personas.

According to a recent survey by Infosecurity, catfishing has become a massive problem, with one in four dating sites reporting issues with fake profiles. The survey found that as many as 27% of dating app users have fallen victim to catfishing scams over the past year.

If a person refuses to meet in person, video call or asks for money, it’s usually a huge catfishing red flag. But, this phenomenon has also taken on a more inconspicuous and innocent cover. Known also as kittenfishing, people are presenting themselves in an unrealistically positive way in order to get more matches. Originally coined by Hinge, the classic signs of kittenfishing involve using outdated photos, lying about your height and even your hobbies and personality traits.

Tinder will let you verify your account

To help clap down on catfishing accounts, Tinder has announced a new feature that allows users to verify their profiles.

Over the next few months, the dating app will roll out its ID verification system all over the world, a feature that was previously only active in Japan. The new feature will be voluntary, except in countries that require ID verification by law. Users will be allowed to verify their account by uploading a copy of their driver’s licence or passport, and in return, they will receive a Twitter-style verification tick.

Rory Kozoll, Head of Trust & Safety Product at Tinder, revealed: ‘We know one of the most valuable things Tinder can do to make members feel safe is to give them more confidence that their matches are authentic and more control over who they interact with.’

And we hope all our members worldwide will see the benefits of interacting with people who have gone through our ID verification process. We look forward to a day when as many people as possible are verified on Tinder.