Tinder will soon make voluntary identity verification available globally – TechCrunch

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Tinder announced this morning that in the “next few quarters” users will be able to verify their ID on the app. This feature was first rolled out in Japan in 2019, where Tinder users need to verify they are at least 18 years old. Aside from places like Japan, where this is required by law, identity verification “will start as voluntary,” Tinder wrote in a blog post.

Identity verification will be free for all users, similar to its photo verification feature. According to a spokesperson for Tinder, the company will also use identity verification to cross-reference data such as the sex offender registry in regions where that information is accessible. Tinder already does this via credit card lookup when users sign up for a membership. Under its terms of use, Tinder requires that users “have never been convicted or challenged a crime, sexual offense or any crime involving violence and that it is not necessary to register as a sex offender with any state, register federal or local sexual offenses “.

The existing photo verification feature adds a blue Twitter-like check mark to a user’s profile, while identity verification will produce another distinct badge. In this way, users can know whether or not a potential date has confirmed their identity through photo verification, identity verification, both or neither.

“Creating a truly equitable solution for identity verification is a challenging but critical security project and we are looking for our communities and experts to help inform our approach,” the company wrote.

Although Tinder has continued to invest in security features, free ID verification can only go so far, especially if voluntary, leaving individual users with the burden of deciding whether or not they feel comfortable meeting users. not verified. But in March 2021, Match Group, Tinder’s parent company, announced its seven-figure contribution to non-profit background checker Garbo. Garbo’s background checks could help detect dating app users with a history of violence or abuse, but we have yet to see how it will integrate into Tinder and whether users will be charged for access. Notably, Garbo conducts “equity of background” checks, which means he will rule out drug possession charges and minor traffic accidents on his platform, citing how these charges are disproportionately levied against vulnerable communities.

Although Tinder has said it won’t use Garbo’s technology to power its identity verification tools, the company has pointed out to TechCrunch that it will have more information to share about background checks via Garbo in the fall. Tinder did not share whether access to Garbo’s information will be protected by a paywall. At the time of the investment, Match Group said it would determine pricing – if it chooses to pay for this information – based on factors such as user adoption, how many people want to use it, and how many searches they want to perform.

Tinder’s investment in security features is encouraging, but if left behind a paywall, the impact could be limited. Match Group faced serious scrutiny in December 2019, when an investigation by Columbia Journalism Investigations (CJI) and ProPublica found that the company screened for sexual predators on Match, a paid service, but not free apps. like Tinder, OkCupid and PlentyofFish. At the time, a company spokesperson said: There are definitely sexual offenses recorded on our free products.

In January 2020, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) initiated an investigation into user security policies on dating apps, sending letters to Match Group, The Meet Group, Bumble and Grindr. He wrote: “Protection from sexual predators shouldn’t be a luxury limited to paying customers. The following month, U.S. reps Ann Kuster (D-NH) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) wrote a letter to Match Group, signed by nine other reps, stating their concern that Match Group won’t cross-match responses. users with sex registry delinquents.

Over the same period, Match Group has made several moves to invest more deeply in user safety: for example, it acquired Noonlight in January 2020, which allows users in the United States to share who, when and where they meet someone. In dangerous situations, users can discreetly activate emergency services: Noonlight contacts the user first, then calls 911 if necessary (the basic version of Noonlight is free, but some features like connecting to an Apple Watch, Google Home or Alexa are only available by upgrading to a $ 5 or $ 10 monthly plan). Features like these can be controversial due to concerns about police intervention, but they might help some users feel a sense of security. But blocking offenders before registration could reduce the need for such intervention in the first place.

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