Latest news with #YoelRoth
The Verge
8 hours ago
- The Verge
Tinder's mandatory facial recognition check comes to the US
Tinder is trialing mandatory facial recognition security features in the US to verify profiles and crack down on impersonation and fake accounts. New users in California are now required to provide a biometric 'Face Check' scan to confirm their face matches their profile photos for the dating service, Axios reported on Monday. The Face Check feature involves taking a short video selfie that's used to match biometric indicators and prove that the Tinder user isn't a bot using artificially generated images, providing them with a verified badge upon completion. The scan will also check if the user's face is being used in multiple accounts, which could help to prevent users from being impersonated or having their likeness used by deceptive 'catfish' profiles. Face Check is separate from Tinder's ID Check feature, which uses government-issued ID to verify users' age and identity, while Face Check seemingly only requires users to upload a selfie video. Tinder users have provided video selfies to verify their profiles since 2023, but verification wasn't a mandatory requirement for creating a Tinder account. This change means that Californians will have to complete some version of verification if they want to use the platform at all. 'We see this as one part of a set of identity assurance options that are available to users,' Match Group's head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, told Axios. 'Face Check ... is really meant to be about confirming that this person is a real, live person and not a bot or a spoofed account.' Tinder says the selfie video is deleted once verification is complete, but that the platform stores a 'non-reversible, encrypted face map' to detect duplicate user accounts in the future. The Face Check feature has already been piloted in Colombia and Canada, with Roth telling Axios that those tests showed 'promising' results in 'improving perceptions of authenticity' and reducing reports of bad actors. Tinder will now monitor how users in California respond to the Face Check feature before deciding if it should be rolled out more broadly across the US, according to Roth.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tinder is testing facial recognition for users as a new security feature
Tinder is piloting a new featuring using facial recognition scans to verify profiles and increase security. New users in California will now be mandated to take a video selfie during the app's onboarding process which Tinder will compare against the user's other photos to verify their profile is genuine. The app will also check the scan against faces used on other accounts and provide verified profiles with a special badge. Tinder will store a non-reversible, encrypted face map to detect duplications, according to Axios, which reported on the new feature. "We see this as one part of a set of identity assurance options that are available to users," Yoel Roth, head of trust and safety at Tinder's parent company Match Group, told the outlet. "Face Check ... is really meant to be about confirming that this person is a real, live person and not a bot or a spoofed account." The feature is already in use in Colombia and Canada, and California will be its first U.S. pilot market. The stored facial data is deleted once a user deletes their profile, Tinder claims. Computer and app users have long attempted to use fraudulent identities on public profiles, for purposes ranging from financial 'romance scams' to full-blown, in-depth attempts at pretending to be someone else, a practice known as 'catfishing.' U.S. Justice Department and FBI officials told CBS News in 2024 that there were more than 64,000 romance scams in the U.S. the previous year. The practice is common enough that it inspired a hit Netflix documentary about the 'Tinder Swindler,' who is accused of using dating apps to swindle matches out of millions. Tinder and its competitors have previously added features such as identification verification, real-time photo verification, and location-sharing to prevent safety issues.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- The Independent
Tinder is testing facial recognition for users as a new security feature
Tinder is piloting a new featuring using facial recognition scans to verify profiles and increase security. New users in California will now be mandated to take a video selfie during the app's onboarding process which Tinder will compare against the user's other photos to verify their profile is genuine. The app will also check the scan against faces used on other accounts and provide verified profiles with a special badge. Tinder will store a non-reversible, encrypted face map to detect duplications, according to Axios, which reported on the new feature. "We see this as one part of a set of identity assurance options that are available to users," Yoel Roth, head of trust and safety at Tinder's parent company Match Group, told the outlet. "Face Check ... is really meant to be about confirming that this person is a real, live person and not a bot or a spoofed account." The feature is already in use in Colombia and Canada, and California will be its first U.S. pilot market. The stored facial data is deleted once a user deletes their profile, Tinder claims. Computer and app users have long attempted to use fraudulent identities on public profiles, for purposes ranging from financial 'romance scams' to full-blown, in-depth attempts at pretending to be someone else, a practice known as 'catfishing.' U.S. Justice Department and FBI officials told CBS News in 2024 that there were more than 64,000 romance scams in the U.S. the previous year. Tinder Swindler, ' who is accused of using dating apps to swindle matches out of millions. Tinder and its competitors have previously added features such as identification verification, real-time photo verification, and location-sharing to prevent safety issues.
CBS News
21 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Tinder pilots facial recognition security feature in California
Tinder is testing out a new facial recognition feature as it seeks to reduce fraud and build trust among its customer base. The West Hollywood-based company, which is owned by online dating company Match Group, is now mandating that California users verify their identity through a feature called Face Check when setting up their accounts. The news was first reported by Axios. "Creating a fun and respectful environment where Tinder users can be their true selves is our priority," a Tinder spokesperson told CBS News. "As part of our continued efforts, we are always testing ways to deliver the best experience for our users to seek authentic connections." Powered by an underlying technology called FaceTec, the Face Check feature prompts users to take a short video of themselves which it then scans to make sure the person is who they say they are. It also tests whether a person's face matches their Tinder photos and examines other accounts to make sure no one else is using their likeness. Once verified, users get a blue checkmark on their profile. According to Tinder, verification data obtained during the face scans is stored for the lifetime of the person's account but gets deleted within 30 days after someone closes their account. "Face Check ... is really meant to be about confirming that this person is a real, live person and not a bot or a spoofed account," Yoel Roth, Match Group's head of trust and safety, told the outlet. Photo verification is already one of the safety features on Tinder, but users have to opt into it. Tinder's pilot comes amid a rise in "romance scams," in which people create fake online profiles in order to win over someone's trust, oftentimes to manipulate them into giving money. U.S. Justice Department and FBI officials told CBS News last year that there were more than 64,000 American victims of romance scams in 2023. Dating apps, including Tinder, are fertile ground for scams, according to various consumer protection sources including the FBI and Federal Trade Commission. In one case documented in the Netflix film "Tinder Swindler," a man duped a women into giving him millions of dollars. Tinder does not have any plans to expand the facial recognition technology beyond California at this time, a spokesperson for the company told CBS MoneyWatch. contributed to this report.
Engadget
a day ago
- Business
- Engadget
Tinder is mandating face checks for California residents
Tinder is requiring new users in California to verify their identities by using facial recognition, according to a report by Axios . The policy goes into effect today as a test program. The obvious reason behind this is to make sure people are who they say they are. Dating apps, after all, are a haven for scammers . The platform's Face Check feature prompts users to make a short video selfie. The face scan confirms the identity of the user by matching biometric indicators with profile photos. It also checks to see if the face has been used as a profile photo across multiple accounts. Once verified, the user receives a badge on their profile and the video selfie is deleted. Tinder holds onto an encrypted face map to detect duplicates in the future. This is separate from ID Check, which asks users to scan a government-issued photo ID. Parent company Match Group's head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, says the requirement "is really meant to be about confirming that this person is a real, live person and not a bot or a spoofed account." Tinder has been experimenting with this idea for several years. It started testing in Japan back in 2020, before bringing the tech to Canada and Colombia earlier this year. Roth told Axios that California was chosen as the next test market due to its size, demographics and strong online safety and privacy laws. If successful, this could roll out as a nationwide program. Match Group could be ramping up these verification efforts because of a recent bombshell investigation suggesting the company's apps, which also include Hinge and OKCupid, failed to act on reports of sexual assault . The 18-month investigation reportedly found instances in which users were accused of drugging or assaulting dates and still allowed to remain on the company's platforms. The dating app space is in a period of uncertainty, with declines in revenue and paying users. Match Group recently announced that it's cutting 13 percent of its staff and Bumble is cutting 30 percent of its workforce . This move seeks to address one pain point behind dating apps, which is great, but the decline in usage is likely due to a number of factors. The pricing has gotten truly wild in recent years. Tinder, for instance, has multiple subscription tiers that average out to around $40 to $60 per month. On top of that, the company also sells "Super Likes" to the tune of $3 a pop and profile boosts at $8 each. It's a microtransaction hell.
