How Dating Apps Failed to Solve Their Key Issue: Identity Verification

Dating apps were supposed to revolutionize the dating experience, much like how Netflix changed entertainment consumption and Uber transformed ride-hailing. While these platforms have indeed improved the dating process for many, they haven't necessarily made it safer. Despite numerous success stories of people finding their soulmates, companies like Bumble and Match Group, which owns Tinder and Hinge, have often prioritized profit over user safety. These companies have not adequately utilized available technology to protect users from scams and fake identities.

 When Tinder introduced its right-swipe and left-swipe features in 2012, it became wildly popular: swipe right to like, swipe left to dislike. If both users swipe right, they are matched. This was hailed as a groundbreaking innovation that solved a significant dating mystery. However, as more dating apps entered the market, so did the bad actors. Scams on these platforms have become rampant, with scammers exploiting individuals desperate to find love. They request money for various reasons, such as for Uber rides, flights, donations to their children's sports leagues, and meals.

 Netflix’s popular true crime documentary, “The Tinder Swindler, highlights the case of Simon Leviev, who used Tinder to connect with women and borrow money he never intended to repay. Leviev allegedly swindled more than $10 million from several women who believed they had found their dream soulmate. In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission reported that people lost more than $1.3 billion in romance scams.