INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty Images / TheIndianSubcontinentIn a bid to tackle fake profiles and fraudsters, a popular gay dating app plans to offer
a sort of "verified" badge to identify authentic members.Hornet will be the first of the major gay social networks to let people earn a
badge of authenticity.The aim is to give users more confidence that they are talking to a genuine person.But rather than moderators checking
ID, the app will use algorithms to decide who gets a badge.So can machine learning solve the problems that persist on dating apps?Anyone who
has used a gay dating app will be familiar with fakes
Messages arrive from improbably handsome strangers, often angling for intimate photos or sexy chat.These so-called catfish profiles use
pictures stolen from popular social media stars or adult-film actors
They lure people into conversation, sometimes trying to arrange dates they will never show up for
In more serious cases they try to defraud, blackmail or harm their victims.So why do gay dating apps not offer a "verified" profile badge,
like on Instagram or Twitter?It is not that simple."Not everyone wants to or even should be identified," said Eric Silverberg, chief
executive of dating app Scruff, which competes with Hornet on the app stores.Image copyrightHornetImage caption
Hornet
plans to give "authentic" profiles a badge
"People often create new, repeated or anonymous profiles, for many valid
reasons," he told the TheIndianSubcontinent."Once you start verifying some, you create a kind of hierarchy on your platform that could lead
to unintended consequences for people who are not out of the closet." PrivacyMore than 70 countries around the world have laws against LGBT
ID checks would create a list of "verified LGBT people" that could be used by those wanting to do harm, including governments.They would
also raise barriers for those exploring their sexuality
If most users chose to verify their profiles, newcomers may find fewer people speak to them if they have not gone through the verification
process.Hornet says its system will not involve checking ID.Instead, algorithms will evaluate how people behave on the app over time
Profiles that are judged to be genuine will display a "Hornet badge" as an indicator of trustworthiness.The company said it would not
disclose exactly how the algorithm works because that might help catfish work out how to trick the system.But Hornet chief executive
Christof Wittig told the TheIndianSubcontinent: "We look at people and how they earn trust while they interact with the community
It requires people to be authentic and interact." AnalysisHornet combines the social elements of apps such as Instagram with the meet-up
aspect of apps such as Grindr.The "verification" system will analyse how people use those features, to weigh up whether the activity is
consistent with genuine users.Mr Wittig stressed that the algorithm would not look at the contents of private messages.And because many
people in countries with anti-LGBT laws do not use a selfie as their profile picture, the system will not involve any image analysis of
profile photos either.Image copyrightHornetImage caption
The app will provide tips for people who have not gained their
badge
Of course, fake profiles can be very convincing - they are carefully crafted to be deceiving.Could a catfish profile
earn a "Hornet badge" and add a mark of authenticity to their fake profile?"In theory, yes," said Mr Wittig
"There will always be that one person who will put this super extra effort in, and there will always be some that fall for it."But with this
system, the amount of work versus the probability of reward changes
We are making being a fake profile very costly
They can no longer do it at scale."And even then once you know somebody is a catfish, their pattern is better understood
The machine learning has much more data to really understand how catfish behave."What about members who do not want a "Hornet badge" because
they are worried about being exposed for using an LGBT app?Mr Wittig said it would not be possible to opt out of the system but he said
members would still be able to be discreet about their identity."People in some countries don't put a face picture up because it's so
dangerous, but they can still be verified by the system," Mr Wittig told the TheIndianSubcontinent.Rival appsThe TheIndianSubcontinent
invited rival dating apps Grindr and Scruff to share their views on user verification methods.Scruff told the TheIndianSubcontinent: "The
bigger question is why bad actors continue to proliferate on some platforms, and the answer always comes down to one thing - leadership.""We
have always prioritised moderation and community support, because we are building an app that we ourselves use and share with our friends
When people misuse our platform, we react swiftly and decisively."We have spent years building advanced technologies to stop spammers,
catfishers, and other bad actors."Grindr has yet to respond
