A friend of mine once showed me a photo of a guy on Tinder she was supposed go on a date with, and my initial thought was that he looked a heck of a lot like a certain actor I’d seen in various things over the years. But hey, lots of normal people look similar to celebrities, right? Maybe, but why take a chance when you could end up on a date with a total creeper? To that end, Tinder is trying to combat such rampant poserism with its new “verified” profiles.
While my friend decided against taking the chance that she was actually about to meet a celebrity, there are well-known people out there looking for love in all the digital places, just like us average folks. Tinder’s new verified profile badges work both to help those lovelorn famouses convince potential mates they are who they say they are, as well as keeping others from wondering if the person they’re talking to is a creepy poser or the starting forward for their favorite NBA team.
Much like Twitter, Tinder’s verified profiles come with a checkmark in a blue circle, indicating that yes, this is [insert name of actor who has invariably been on Law & Order at some point/ handsome NFL quarterback in Wisconsin with eyes like so many pools of star-reflecting, deep blue water].
Tinder’s verified accounts are available to “notable public figures, celebrities, and athletes,” the company says in a blog post announcing the new feature today. If you’re one of those folks, however, it’s unclear how you earn or prove that you deserve a verified badge.
Beware, however: Though the system might keep you from dating one kind of poser, there are still plenty of others out there that you just may have to bust for yourself, the hard way. I’m talking to you, fedora guy.
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist