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Most, least safe states for online dating
Researchers crunched government statistics to determine the least and most safe states for online dating.
Tinder announced on Tuesday that it will expand its identity verification program to users in the U.S., U.K., Brazil and Mexico.
The company says the change is aimed at helping confirm the authenticity of its users.
The new feature will be available in the U.S. and Mexico by the summer and in the U.K. and Brazil by the spring.
How will the new feature work?
According to Tinder, the new process will require a video selfie and a valid form of identification like a passport or driver's license.
The app will check to see whether to face in the video selfie matches the one in the photo IDs.
Tinder implemented this process in Australia and New Zealand last fall. The app says in those regions the company saw a 67% increase in matches than those not verified.
"We believe ID Verification is an important tool users can adopt to help prove they are the person in their photos as well as help provide some peace of mind when deciding to meet someone off the app," said Ted Bunch, Chief Development Officer, A Call To Men. "By giving this option to more users, Tinder is giving users more choice and options in how they connect and ultimately feel safer when exploring new connections."
The new feature follows an ongoing lawsuit in which Tinder, Hinge and other dating apps are accused of designing addictive features that encourage compulsive use, according to a class-action lawsuit filed last week.
RELATED: Tinder, Hinge, and other dating apps facing lawsuit over 'addictive' features
The lawsuit filed in federal court in the Northern District of California on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, says Match intentionally designs its dating platforms with game-like features that lock users into a perpetual pay-to-play loop that prioritizes profit over the promise to help users find relationships.
Dating apps make money when users pay for a subscription. Almost all dating apps offer different subscription tiers, which unlock features that promise more engagement and better matching potential.
The lawsuit claims the design of the dating apps turns users into "addicts" who purchase ever-more-expensive subscriptions.
A Pew Research study from 2023 found that some 35% of adults who have used a dating site or app have paid to use one.
Last year, Tinder rolled out an "exclusive" Tinder Select membership that costs $499 a month. The League reportedly has a subscription level that is in the thousands.
RELATED: Tinder rolls out 'exclusive' $499 monthly membership called Tinder Select