Popular dating app Bumble is getting biometric ID verification.
The feature is optional but users who verify their identity will be able to add badges to their Bumble profiles. It comes as romance scams have surged on social media and dating platforms.
The ID verification technology comes courtesy of Veriff and is available now in 11 markets, including the U.S. and UK, with further expansion planned. To verify, users simply have to upload a government-issued ID such as a passport or a driver’s license and take a selfie for biometric comparison. Bumble users will also be able to filter for verified profiles and ask matches to verify themselves.
Rival dating app Tinder launched ID verification with face liveness detection in Japan in 2019 but didn’t roll out the feature internationally until last year. Previously, Tinder used selfie biometrics and video selfies as verification tools dating back to 2020. Bumble is also adding a feature called Share Date that allows users to send details of planned dates directly to trusted contacts, with the ability to update those plans within the Bumble app.
Romance scams have become a significant issue as Santander UK warned nearly £4 million was reported stolen from the bank’s customers through romance scams over the first six months in 2024. Typically, these fraudsters will prey on dating app users, seducing their target and eventually requesting money, often without ever meeting the victim. Last year, the FBI issued a warning as it reported nearly $740 million was lost due to romance scams.
At Tech Show London last week, dating experts were asked what the biggest shift they’d seen in online dating. The pandemic, they replied, with the COVID-19 disruption sending many daters online, but with this came a corresponding uptick in cybercriminals.
To combat this, more friction is needed, according to Simon Newman, CEO of the Online Dating and Discovery Association (ODDA), and Becky Holmes, author of Keanu Reeves is Not in Love With You. The friction comes from extra checks such as ID verification, image verification checks and deepfake prevention measures.
