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Age and User Verification

How we keep underage users off the site and remove scammers

Robust age verification is now a legal requirement. Discover more.

The UK government introduced the Online Safety Act, which includes a requirement for robust age verification. While the law clearly defines this requirement for sites containing adult content, it remains less clear when applied to dating platforms. At Greed Dating, we chose to adopt stricter standards because we believe it's vital to prevent children from accessing services intended exclusively for adults.

Scammers are also a persistent issue for dating platforms. We realised we could use the same core technology to address both age verification and scam detection. While commercial systems exist that offer this functionality, they are often prohibitively expensive for smaller operators.

Our system, implemented across Greed Dating and all associated niche platforms, costs just $1 per 1,000 users to verify age and identity—making it both effective and affordable.

How does our age verification work?

Users are asked to activate their device’s camera and align their face within a guided frame. They are then prompted to blink at randomly timed intervals over a 15-second period. The system detects these blinks and ensures they fall within acceptable reaction time windows. If the user passes the test, they are verified as a real, live person—not a static image or pre-recorded video.

Once liveness is confirmed, the system performs an age estimation using one frame from the video stream along with five additional audit frames. If the user appears to be 18 or over, they are granted access to the platform. If under 18, they are directed to a manual verification process that involves submitting a selfie and valid photo ID.

In the background, additional checks are performed to detect misuse, such as attempting to pass off images or videos instead of live footage.

Moderation checks

The stored audit frames become part of our internal moderation system. This significantly enhances our ability to identify scammers. For example, when someone uploads a photo of a woman, but their audit frame clearly shows a different individual, the account can be instantly banned—along with any linked or duplicate profiles. The audit image is archived and used in a facial matching system to prevent repeat offenders from returning.

Publicly shared audit images

One of the ways Greed Dating and its network of niche platforms sets itself apart is by showing the audit image on each profile. This allows users to see the real person behind the account.

To preserve privacy, these images are pixelated by default. This makes it easy to spot mismatches between profile pictures and real audit images without fully revealing identity. Once a conversation begins, the image becomes clearer while still maintaining a degree of privacy.

Bizarre behaviour

Even after being exposed, some scammers continue to create new profiles. This behaviour highlights the importance of strong verification systems and ongoing monitoring.

Significant reduction in scammers

Since deploying this system, we have observed a dramatic decrease in scam activity across our network.

The image below shows examples of accounts identified using this verification technology.

These are audit frames from accounts identified and removed from our network.

Do not forget age verification

Although the system has many benefits, it began as a tool to comply with age verification requirements. It has significantly reduced the burden on moderation teams, removing the need to manually estimate age from static images.

Should the Online Safety Act age verification rules apply to dating platforms?

Absolutely. Platforms block underage users every day. Applying strict age verification helps protect vulnerable users and creates safer online communities.

Conclusion

The combination of advanced age verification and real-time identity checks has transformed how Greed Dating and its network operates. It is no longer just about compliance — it is about building a trusted environment where real users can safely connect. By preventing underage access and identifying fraudulent accounts, we are raising the standard for responsible dating platforms.

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