Tinder Adds Facial Recognition With Latest Feature, “Face Check”

Tinder is bringing a new feature to its US users called Face Check. This is a facial verification system that confirms if users are real and match their profile photos. The app’s parent company, Match Group, announced the rollout yesterday, calling it a new phase in its safety innovation drive.

As for the process, new users take a short video selfie through the app. This video is analysed to confirm that the person is real and not using a fake image. Tinder then checks whether the face in the video matches the profile photos. If the match is successful, the user receives a “Photo Verified” badge that signals authenticity.

The feature also spots when the same face is being used across different accounts, helping the company reduce impersonation and fake profiles. Tinder has already introduced Face Check in Colombia, Canada, Australia, India, and several Southeast Asian countries. It is now required for all new users in California and seven other countries. Match Group plans to bring it to more regions in the coming months.

How Does Face Check Affect User Safety?

Tinder says Face Check has already led to strong safety improvements. The company recorded a 60% decrease in exposure to potential bad actors and a 40% decrease in reports involving fake or harmful profiles in areas where the system has been tested. Users also said they felt more confident and trusted the app more when interacting with verified profiles.

This is the first time a large dating app has made facial liveness verification mandatory during the sign up process.

Face Check builds on other safety tools Tinder has added over the years, such as reporting features and profile photo verification badges. The company says this update brings dating safety a step further, focusing on real identity rather than surface-level checks.

What Happens To The Facial Data?

Privacy has been one of the main questions raised around this update. Tinder says that video selfies are deleted soon after the verification process. Instead of keeping the full video, the app stores a non-reversible and encrypted “face map” and “face vector”. These help the app detect fraud, check future photos, and prevent people from using the same face across different accounts.

Tinder keeps this verification data for the lifetime of an account. Once a user deletes their Tinder profile, the company removes the data in line with its Privacy Policy. Two audit images from the original video selfie are kept for up to 90 days after account closure, or up to one year if an account has been banned.

For users in regions where Face Check is required, the feature cannot be removed without deleting the account. Tinder says this is because facial verification is now a condition of being on the platform.

Who Can Access This Data?

Tinder says that only its service providers may access verification data when needed to manage or troubleshoot the Face Check system. The information is stored securely on Tinder’s Amazon Web Services servers.

The company has clarified that it does not sell or share biometric data as defined by U.S. privacy laws. Tinder also processes the verification data with user consent. For users who wish to remove it, the only way to delete this information is through full account deletion.

Tinder insists that privacy protection is built into the system. The stored data cannot be used to recreate a person’s face or added to their public profile. Instead, it serves as a security reference to make sure profile photos stay authentic over time.

Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Match Group and head of Tinder, said in a press release: “We’re strengthening and accelerating our investments in Trust and Safety. We’ve tested Face Check extensively and are confident in its positive impacts on the Tinder ecosystem.

“Safety is an essential part of the Tinder experience, built into how people join, match, and connect. Face Check reflects our deepening commitment to responsible innovation that builds trust and supports a healthy, growing community. It’s just the beginning of a broader effort to make Tinder the best and safest way to meet new people.”

Yoel Roth, Head of Trust & Safety at Match Group also commented: “Face Check is perhaps the most measurably impactful Trust and Safety feature I’ve seen in my 15-year career.

“It helps tackle one of the hardest problems online, knowing whether someone is real, in a way that feels seamless and effective for real users, while adding meaningful obstacles that are difficult for bad actors to circumvent. It sets a new benchmark for trust and safety across the dating industry.”