Hip-hop superstar Drake rapped, “Pray the real live forever/ Pray the fakes get exposed,” in his song “Know Yourself.” Whether it meant to or not, the social dating app Tinder is trying to make Drake’s prayers come true — and maybe yours too.
In a blog post Tuesday, Tinder unveiled “Verified Profiles,” a way to ensure that celebrities on Tinder are exactly who they say they are.
Tinder says 26 million matches happen on the app every day. With that kind of popularity, it may be unsurprising that a few notable people have joined. However, fame has not always made things easier for famous people using the app. It might have even made things harder for some. According to The Cut, Tinder founder Sean Rad said that many users assume celebrity profiles are hoaxes.
To cut through the skepticism, Tinder will display a blue checkmark, in the tradition of Twitter and Facebook, when the company has confirmed a celebrity profile is genuine.
But whether a prospective match is an athlete, a celebrity or some other public figure, a savvy user might still anticipate the profile is there for promotional reasons. After all, CNN once took a close look at Mariah Carey’s Match.com profile and walked away with a whiff of publicity stunt.
But everyday Tinder users looking for a little fame in their love lives do not need to give up all hope. The actor and singer Hilary Duff discussed her experience with the app with a Los Angeles radio station in April, saying she originally joined as a joke, and then actually began meeting people.