Tinder introduces verified profiles, making it easier to be rejected by celebrities
Tinder, the hookup app posing as a dating app, was once simply a tool to meet nice folks who require “100 roses” an hour to go out on a date for some reason. Now, the creators of the popular app are making it easier for Hollywood types to swipe right on a Friday night with the introduction of verified profiles. Mashable reports that Tinder’s verification, which rolled out Tuesday, “will take the form of a small blue checkmark which appears next to a user’s name and age on his or her profile.”
Since Tinder requires a Facebook account to log in, this made signing up to Tinder difficult for celebrities, as most famous folk don’t have a personal Facebook page or utilize the social media site under a nom de plume, resulting in fewer matches for lonely millionaires as other users tend to think their profiles are fake. Tinder CEO Sean Rad says the new verification system “will allow celebrities to enter Tinder in a different way.” It’s about time actual celebs got to join in on the Tinder fun, not just burlesque dancers and bartenders who simply fancy themselves celebrities.
So what does that mean for us plebeians? Are the “nice guys of OkCupid” that much closer to being put in the friend zone by Jennifer Lawrence for real? Doubtful. This development in Tinder-tech will more than likely just be another marketing tool by savvy publicists. You can already “match” with movies you haven’t seen yet on the Tinder app, which is perfect for people who like chatting with movies. (Both 20th Century Fox and Universal have been using Tinder to promote Spy and Trainwreck, respectively.)
In addition to providing Hollywood big shots with verified profiles, Tinder has allowed for Instagram support, and an expanded interests section to let the world know much you love bourbon, live music, and “travel.” At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before Tinder starts to resemble a Geocities page from 1995, which is too bad, since it began with so much promise and class.