Tinder Rolling Out ID Verification Globally in the ‘Coming Quarters’

Online dating app Tinder will be rolling out its ID verification feature to all users globally “in the coming quarters.”

According to a new press release, Tinder is rolling out its ID verification feature as an option for all users of the dating app around the world. The feature, which is already available in Japan, will be accessible globally the the next several months.

The company said with each country being diverse in terms of what amounts to a standard and trusted ID, it will consult experts and users and local laws and regulations before rolling out the feature. It will be voluntary at the start unless ID verification is mandated by law.

“ID Verification is complex and nuanced, which is why we are taking a test-and-learn approach to the rollout,” Rory Kozoll, head of trust and safety product at Tinder, wrote in the release. “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.”

The feature will not only authenticate that people are whom they say they are and ensure they are at least 18 years old, but ID verification will also help weed out undesirable people, a company spokesperson said. Although those convicted of a sex crime or a crime of violence can be background-checked using their credit card, the new ID verification will bolster that process.

“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,” the press release concludes.

No stranger to online safety, the platform previously introduced features like Photo Verification and Face to Face video chat; a recent partnership with female-founded nonprofit Garbo allowed for background checks. Tinder understands some users may not want to share their identity online, which is why ID Verification will initially be voluntary (except where mandated by law).