Tinder has announced that it will be offering users the opportunity to scan ID to verify their identity in the coming quarters.
The feature was first rolled out in Japan in 2019, where users were asked to verify that they were aged over 18.
The ID verification will begin as voluntary, unlike in Japan, where it is mandated by law.
According to techcrunch.com, a Tinder spokesperson said the company would use ID verification to cross-reference data such as the sex offender registry in regions where the information is accessible.
Tinder already cross-reference their users by credit card lookup when users sign up for a subscription.
In its terms of use, Tinder requires that users “have never been convicted of or pled no contest to a felony, a sex crime, or any crime involving violence, and that you are not required to register as a sex offender with any state, federal or local sex offender registry.”
The requirement for ID verification to use social media and other platforms has been suggested as a way to combat abuse as it will remove anonymity and the ability of online abusers to avoid accountability.
Tinder is the first major platform to commit to a rollout of ID verification in states that it is not mandated.
The dating app company have said they will develop a fair, impartial and privacy-friendly system over time.
Rory Kozoll, head of trust and safety product at Tinder, said the app would take a "test-and-learn approach" to its own rollout of ID verification technology to help ensure the firm got it right.
"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," he said.
"And 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."
