More than Eight out of Ten Dating App Users Want Platforms to Verify Age, Recency of Photos and Location
TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) has released a new report revealing significant trust concerns in online dating platforms. The study shows that 85% of women and 87% of men want dating platforms to verify user information including age, photo recency, and location.
Only half of users found profiles accurately reflected people they met, with picture inaccuracy being the top complaint. Women were twice as likely to report age misrepresentation, while men reported more bait-and-switch incidents. Over 75% of users across demographics are willing to undergo background checks.
The report also highlighted concerning fraud statistics: 28% of users experienced catfishing, while 21% fell victim to romance scammers requesting money or personal information. About 25% of users would pay for their own background check, and 40% would pay for both themselves and potential matches. Only 15-18% believe background checks should be included in membership fees.
TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) ha pubblicato un nuovo rapporto che rivela significative preoccupazioni di fiducia nelle piattaforme di incontri online. Lo studio mostra che l'85% delle donne e l'87% degli uomini desiderano che le piattaforme di incontri verifichino le informazioni degli utenti, inclusi età, attualità delle foto e posizione.
Solo la metà degli utenti ha trovato che i profili riflettessero accuratamente le persone incontrate, con l'inaffidabilità delle foto che rappresenta la principale lamentela. Le donne erano due volte più propense a segnalare la misrepresentazione dell'età, mentre gli uomini hanno segnalato più incidenti di
TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) ha publicado un nuevo informe que revela preocupaciones significativas sobre la confianza en las plataformas de citas en línea. El estudio muestra que el 85% de las mujeres y el 87% de los hombres quieren que las plataformas de citas verifiquen la información del usuario, incluyendo la edad, la actualidad de las fotos y la ubicación.
Solo la mitad de los usuarios encontró que los perfiles reflejaban con precisión a las personas que conocieron, siendo la inexactitud de las fotos la principal queja. Las mujeres eran el doble de propensas a informar sobre la mala representación de la edad, mientras que los hombres informaron más incidentes de
TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)는 온라인 데이팅 플랫폼에 대한 신뢰 문제를 드러내는 새로운 보고서를 발표했습니다. 이 연구에 따르면 85%의 여성과 87%의 남성이 데이팅 플랫폼이 사용자 정보를 검증하기를 원한다고 합니다. 여기에는 나이, 사진의 최신성 및 위치가 포함됩니다.
사용자의 절반만이 만난 사람들의 프로필이 정확하게 반영되었다고 생각했으며, 사진의 부정확성이 가장 큰 불만으로 나타났습니다. 여성은 나이 왜곡을 보고할 가능성이 두 배였고, 남성은 더 많은 미끼와 전환 사건을 보고했습니다. 인구 통계 전반에 걸쳐 75% 이상의 사용자가 배경 조사를 받을 의향이 있다고 응답했습니다.
보고서는 또한 우려되는 사기 통계를 강조했습니다: 28%의 사용자들이 캣피싱을 경험했습니다, 21%는 돈이나 개인 정보를 요청하는 로맨스 사기의 희생자가 되었습니다. 약 25%의 사용자가 자신의 배경 조사를 위해 비용을 지불할 의향이 있으며, 40%는 자신과 잠재적인 매치 모두를 위해 비용을 지불할 의향이 있습니다. 배경 조사가 회원 비용에 포함되어야 한다고 믿는 사람은 단 15-18%입니다.
TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) a publié un nouveau rapport révélant des préoccupations importantes concernant la confiance dans les plateformes de rencontres en ligne. L'étude montre que 85% des femmes et 87% des hommes souhaitent que les plateformes de rencontres vérifient les informations des utilisateurs, y compris l'âge, la récence des photos et la localisation.
Seule la moitié des utilisateurs a trouvé que les profils reflétaient fidèlement les personnes rencontrées, l'inexactitude des photos étant la principale plainte. Les femmes étaient deux fois plus susceptibles de signaler une fausse représentation de l'âge, tandis que les hommes ont signalé plus d'incidents de
TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) hat einen neuen Bericht veröffentlicht, der erhebliche Vertrauensprobleme bei Online-Dating-Plattformen aufzeigt. Die Studie zeigt, dass 85% der Frauen und 87% der Männer möchten, dass Dating-Plattformen die Benutzerinformationen, einschließlich Alter, Aktualität der Fotos und Standort, überprüfen.
Nur die Hälfte der Nutzer fand, dass die Profile die Personen, die sie getroffen haben, genau widerspiegelten, wobei die Ungenauigkeit der Bilder die häufigste Beschwerde war. Frauen berichteten doppelt so häufig von Altersverfälschung, während Männer mehr Vorfälle von „bait-and-switch“ meldeten. Über 75% der Nutzer aus allen demografischen Gruppen sind bereit, Hintergrundprüfungen durchzuführen.
Der Bericht hob auch besorgniserregende Betrugsstatistiken hervor: 28% der Nutzer erlebten Catfishing, während 21% Opfer von Romantikbetrügern wurden, die Geld oder persönliche Informationen anforderten. Etwa 25% der Nutzer wären bereit, für ihre eigene Hintergrundprüfung zu zahlen, und 40% würden sowohl für sich selbst als auch für potenzielle Partner zahlen. Nur 15-18% glauben, dass Hintergrundprüfungen in den Mitgliedsgebühren enthalten sein sollten.
- Potential new revenue stream from background check services
- 40% of users willing to pay for background checks
- High market demand (85%+ users) for verification services
- 28% of users experienced catfishing
- 21% of users fell victim to romance scams
- Only 50% of profiles accurately reflect users
Only half of users agree that profiles accurately reflected the people they met in person
CHICAGO, March 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While consumers rely on dating apps to find romantic partners, the vast majority would like to feel more confident that other users are representing themselves accurately. A new report from TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) found that
Consumers cited inconsistencies with how people portray themselves on their profiles compared to how they appear in person. The most common complaint among men and women was that pictures were inaccurate or misleading. Women were twice as likely as men to say people lied about their age, while men were more likely to report being the victim of a bait and switch scheme.
For these reasons, more than three quarters of users are willing to undergo background checks—a finding consistent across gender, age and geographic segments. These findings and more are available in TransUnion’s latest report, The Paradox of Online Dating: Convenience vs. Connection.
“Consumers place a high value on trust when interacting online,” said Cecilia Seiden, VP of TransUnion’s Communities and Marketplaces business. “Dating platforms have an opportunity to provide that assurance to their users, while increasing user loyalty in the process.”
What personal information users want platforms to verify
| Age | Recency of Photos | Location | Employment | Income | ||||||
| Women | ||||||||||
| Men | ||||||||||
About a quarter of respondents said they would be willing to pay for their own background check, while nearly
Romance scams remain an issue
In addition to the more benign misrepresentations or exaggerations, the report found a prevalence of fraud in the online dating experience. Across all demographics, at least
More than a quarter (
“Dating makes people inherently vulnerable, more than any other online interaction or activity, because people want to form a genuine connection,” said Seiden. “Dating platforms have the ability to leverage robust identity data to verify that someone is who they say they are. Doing so would not only offer financial protection against scams but would make it easier for people to put themselves out there in good faith and make the connection they’re looking for.”
Dating platforms can increase confidence among users by incorporating identity verification tools, like TransUnion’s TruValidate™ line of solutions.
To read the full dating report, The Paradox of Online Dating: Convenience vs. Connection, click here.
About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)
TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world. http://www.transunion.com/business
| Contact | Dave Blumberg TransUnion | |
| david.blumberg@transunion.com | ||
| Telephone | 312-972-6646 |
FAQ
What percentage of dating app users want verification according to TransUnion's 2025 report?
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What percentage of dating app users are willing to pay for background checks in 2025?
How prevalent are romance scams on dating apps according to TRU's research?
What percentage of dating app users are concerned about scams per TransUnion's findings?
