Tinder now has verified profiles

In case you run into any celebrities during your swiping

Tinder has recently introduced verified profiles, so now select users have blue checks next to their names, just like on Twitter. Getting verified apparently involves emailing Tinder to make your case as to why you deserve the little blue check, a case that should include factors such as your social media following, verified statuses you have on other platforms, etc.

According to Engadget author Mat Smith, deemed worthy of getting a coveted blue check:

I, Mat Smith, through the gift of working as a journalist here at Engadget, am verified. On both Twitter and Facebook. It’s the social networks’ way of certifying that I’m better than the muggles that people are who they say they are. I get a ticket to digital VIP room. Am I somebody? Not really. But you get certain bragging rights when you have that blue tick next to your name. Now Tinder’s jumped on the bandwagon: It, too, has verified profiles. To be clear, there’s no honorable, journalistic reason for me to be verified, but when I joked about getting such a certification on the online dating app, I received a flood of direct messages asking for confirmation (skeptics!) and for advice on how they could get the same treatment. Can I get Tinder Famous? Do I even want to?

Also according to his Engadget article:

The confirmation process is otherwise a manual one: You shoot an email to verified@tinder.com explaining why you should be verified. Ways to do this include showing you’ve been given the same treatment on other social networks, or by indicating that you’re someone in the public eye. To all the celebrities reading this, you probably have plenty of evidence if you’re really, actually famous. Tinder says it receives multiple requests a day. In response, the company takes a closer look at your background, fan base and other social media accounts before deciding if you get a verified badge. (At this point I get the feeling that I neither need nor qualify for Tinder’s blue tick — and didn’t try to use nefarious media powers to claim verification)

Are enough celebrities and public figures really using Tinder to the point that this measure is necessary? Hilary Duff made headlines for saying she used Tinder, but she only used it as a bit of a publicity stunt in order to get footage for a music video she was working on.

Many different events, movies and other forms of media have taken to Tinder to advertise, so the blue check should bring a sense of legitimacy to those.

Reaction from Twitter:

Just saw a guy who was fucking VERIFIED on TINDER didn't even know u could do that

— Emily Elliott (@EEllz_) February 19, 2016

how do i get my tinder account verified
i imagine many people are pretending to be me to get laid

— mj (@familyscraps) February 12, 2016

I just saw my first verified Tinder profile. I didn't even know they were a thing. pic.twitter.com/82zRXCPTxD

— Davey (@davey) February 10, 2016

What…….I didn't know you can be verified on tinder pic.twitter.com/Kk1kYj3QFJ

— Chris (@ShinSnipes) February 7, 2016