How One Dating App Is Using Selfies To Cut Down On Fake Profiles

Aside from encountering creeps and starting conversations that just don't go anywhere, one major problem online daters face is catfishing. According to a report by Glamour, as many as one in 10 online dating profiles is fake. Tinder is home to a number of catfishing bots and multiple Reddit threads have complained about fake profiles on the app Bumble, Vocativ reported. To help prevent its users from falling prey to catfishers, Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe explained to New York Magazine that the app will add a new feature that requires users to submit selfies. Bumble will give specific prompts to ensure that the photos are taken in the moment and not uploaded from a camera library. There are 100 poses, including “holding up a peace sign and closing one eye," Wolfe said. After a selfie is submitted, a moderator will compare them to the pictures on the person's profile. Bumble, which requires women to send the first message, isn't the only app that has taken steps to combat catfishing. Huggle, which Stina Sanders and Valerie Stark founded to maximize women's safety, also has users upload selfies before they can swipe. Blume makes members show their matches selfies to prove they're who they claim to be, and Coy requires video profiles. Selfies may have a bad reputation, but this is definitely one good use for them.