Service Brings Heightened Transparency to Online Dating Industry

Zoosk, a leading technology-driven online dating company that provides personalized matches, today announced the launch of Photo Verification—a new feature to confirm the authenticity of members’ profile pictures. Zoosk’s patent-pending Photo Verification process allows members to have their profile photos compared to videos submitted by the members in order to check that the profile photos are accurate representations of their real life appearances, and then certifies their profile photos with a badge so other Zoosk members know their photos look like them. This exciting feature brings newfound levels of transparency to the online dating experience, which helps increase trust between online daters and first-date satisfaction.

A 2013 Pew Research study reports that over half of online daters have experienced the negative effects of an inaccurate profile. In fact, according to the Pew report, 54 percent have felt that a fellow dater “seriously misrepresented themselves in their profile.”¹ Inaccurate profile images remain a top concern among online daters worldwide, and Zoosk developed this feature in order to address its members’ interest in having more transparency and trust in their potential dates. By creating a Photo Verification process, Zoosk has become the first company in the online dating industry to directly address this concern.

Starting today, Zoosk members will have the choice to use Photo Verification to confirm that their primary profile photo looks like them. Members who choose to verify their photo will be prompted by the system to record and submit a video “selfie” that will capture the individual’s face from a variety of angles. If the moderators approve the member’s photo, he or she will be notified and a Photo Verified badge will be added to their profile. The video “selfie” will remain private.

“One of the most important concerns of online daters is going out with someone who doesn’t really resemble their profile picture,” said Shayan Zadeh, co-founder and CEO of Zoosk. “By innovating a system for our members to validate the accuracy of existing profile photos, we believe we can create better first-date experiences that will lead to lasting relationships.”

The patent-pending Photo Verification system launches today through the Zoosk app with support on all iOS devices; Android support is expected to follow in coming months. By adding a new layer of transparency, Zoosk is creating a more authentic online dating experience that will help lead to better first dates and, ultimately, relationships.

About Zoosk
Zoosk is a leading online dating company that learns as you click in order to pair you with singles with whom you’re likely to discover mutual attraction. Zoosk’s Behavioral Matchmaking™ technology is constantly learning from the actions of more than 27 million members in order to deliver better matches. With the #1 grossing dating app and a top 25 grossing app on the iPhone in the United States, Zoosk is a market leader in mobile dating. Available in over 80 countries and translated into 25 languages, Zoosk is a global online dating platform.

¹ http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/10/21/online-dating-relationships/

Zoosk, Behavioral Matchmaking, Carousel, SmartPick and the Zoosk logo are trademarks or service marks of Zoosk, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks or names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.