Tinder rolls out verification service to curb catfishing—blue checkmark included
Photo verification will ensure your date looks like his/her picture.
Tinder is a remarkably popular dating app, but you don’t always end up with who you expect when you go on a date. Now the service is looking to crack down on that issue.
Tinder is rolling out a photo verification service, which it says will help ensure every match is who they say they are. (Heavy use of filters, photo alteration software and just plain inaccurate photos by some users mean the person who shows up for a meeting looks nothing like their picture on the app.)
Verified members will receive a blue checkmark, similar to the one used by Twitter, to show their status. The feature is being tested in select markets now and will be expanded through the year.
Members will self-authenticate, taking a series of guided selfies that are compared to existing profile pictures using “human assisted AI technology.” Tinder didn’t address whether people would have to update their verifications regularly to account for changes in weight, age and hairstyles.
The updates were part of a series of upcoming changes for the app meant to increase user safety. Tinder also introduced an integration with Noonlight, letting members share details about an upcoming date and easily (and covertly) alert authorities if they feel threatened. In addition, it will debut a safety center that makes users aware of new security features and helps them make smart decisions regarding online dating.
More must-read stories from Fortune:
—A.I. in China: TikTok is just the beginning
—Inside big tech’s quest for human-level A.I.
—Medicine by machine: Is A.I. the cure for the world’s ailing drug industry?
—A.I. breakthroughs in natural-language processing are big for business
—A.I. is transforming the job interview—and everything after
Catch up with Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily digest on the business of tech.