Dating app Plenty of Fish will BAN filtered photos to stop users from being 'catfished' and to help singletons be 'more honest and authentic'
- The ban comes after a survey revealed that 84% of users want more authenticity
- Plenty of Fish will begin reviewing the 70 million images already on the site
- Images deemed to heavily filtered will be removed and users send notifications
- The dating platform expects to have completed the review before the year's end
Dating app Plenty of Fish is taking a stand against singletons using filtered photos in an attempt to promote authenticity and crackdown on catfishing on its platform.
Images deemed to be too heavily filtered will now be removed by the matchmaking site as part of its new vetting scheme.
The move comes after a user survey into the pressures of online dating revealed that 84 per cent of singles longed for a more honest experience on the site.
Furthermore, more than half of the 2,000 respondents in the study said that they felt that filtered photos should be prohibited on dating apps and sites altogether.
The ability for social media users to alter or enhance their appearance using filters has been made popular by such image-based apps as Instagram and Snapchat.
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Dating app Plenty of Fish is taking a stand against filtered user photos in an attempt to promote authenticity and crackdown on catfishing on its platform (stock image)
Plenty of Fish — which is part of the Match group that also owns OkCupid, Tinder and Match.com — will be reviewing around 70 million existing images on the site.
Users with images deemed to be in violation of the new rules will be sent notifications, the site revealed.
The process is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
The site has 150 million registered users worldwide and attracts four million active users every day.
'Singles today are craving greater transparency in dating,' said study author and clinical psychologist Cortney Warren.
'The large majority of singles [are] wanting honest, straightforward information both from potential partners, as well as in their own self-presentation.'
'One of the most important findings in the study is that singles are not interested in seeing an idealised depiction of potential partners through edited photos and unrealistic positive self-descriptors.'
'The truth is, singles want more honest, authentic depictions of others and themselves on dating apps.'
'A more realistic portrayal of each individual will not only be refreshing, but also lead to more meaningful connections.'
One in three of the surveyed singletons also said that they had decided not to message at least one prospective match on a dating app because they had felt that the person's photos were too heavily filtered.
Images deemed to be too heavily filtered will now be removed by the matchmaking site as part of its new vetting scheme. The move comes after a user survey into the pressures of online dating revealed that 84 per cent of singles longed for a more honest experience on the site
Plenty of Fish — which is part of the Match group that also owns OkCupid, Tinder and Match.com — will be reviewing around 70 million existing images on the site
Alongside this, 65 per cent said that they were more interested in seeing additional information added to someone else's dating profile than more photos.
Plenty of Fish is not the only app cracking down on photos at the moment.
In April, rival app Bumble announced that it would be using artificial intelligence technology to better detect and intercept unwanted nude images before they can be sent to other users.
Plenty of Fish — which is part of the Match group that also owns OkCupid, Tinder and Match.com — will be reviewing around 70 million existing images on the site
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