DateID to offer dating apps Yoti biometrics for identity verification

Yoti has announced a partnership with U.S.-based dating verification platform DateID to increase the safety and transparency of online dating communities.

DateID users can verify their identity using Yoti, reducing the risk of identity theft, financial fraud, catfishing, and of course bad first dates.

A 2016 YouGov survey suggests that half of all users do not trust the veracity of details on dating profiles, and with good reason. The UK’s Action Fraud is receiving more than 350 reports each month of online dating scams, and the FBI receives over 1,300, according to the announcement.

“Online dating is a minefield. Users have no real incentive to be truthful in their profiles, and the result is a lot of bad first dates–not to mention serious dangers like being catfished,” explains DateID CEO and Founder Remy Tennant. “In our survey of more than 450 online daters, we found that 95 percent of users Googled each other before agreeing to meet. The problem is, even the best online sleuthing can’t catch everything. DateID gives online daters a fast, easy and effective way to screen each other before agreeing to meet. We’re delighted that Yoti enables us to provide our users with the industry standard in ID verification.”

“It’s too easy to be tricked by somebody hiding behind a fake profile. Yoti offers a free, simple and secure way to know exactly who you’re meeting online – helping to prevent false profiles and make digital interactions safer,” states Yoti CEO Robin Tombs. “We’re delighted to be working with DateID to give daters greater peace of mind, trust and transparency about who they’re talking to. Verified digital identities are a surefire way to help combat catfishing and fake profiles, making it harder for fraudsters and safer for honest people looking for love.”

Yoti’s technology was also deployed to The Meet Group’s social network and dating apps earlier this year, and the company expressed its intention to expand globally when it announced a new equity investment in August.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  fraud prevention  |  identity verification  |  online dating  |  Yoti