Fluttr has been designed as a new kind of dating app and online experience that puts real people, whose identities have been verified, at the heart of the app to prevent commonly seen abuses in the online dating and social landscape where anonymity and a lack of security allow multiple false identities, catfishing, and romance fraud to proliferate. Fluttr is a subscription only model and does not allow advertisement nor does it sell its users’ personal data.

Fluttr launches amid growing awareness of the importance of online safety in the UK as the Government moves to strengthen laws to stamp out content or activities that harm individual users online, with sending ‘threatening and knowingly false’ messages becoming a criminal offense. The online dating sector is currently rife with the potential for abuse as highlighted in this month’s acclaimed Netflix documentary “The Tinder Swindler”, which tells the story of a man who scammed women for millions after matching with them online.

To combat this growing problem, Fluttr is pioneering the use of biometric ID technology to verify every new member from the outset. Ahead of being admitted into the Fluttr ecosystem to browse or engage with other Fluttrers, every new member must verify their ID with Fluttr’s digital ID verification partner Yoti, a global leader in digital ID services whose clients include the NHS, the Post Office, the NUS and many leading UK retailers. Yoti’s technology ensures all Fluttrers are providing their correct details which are verified from their government-issued ID documents.

The final identification of every user is verified so that users can be reassured that the individuals they are meeting on Fluttr are truly who they say they are, avoiding fake profiles created by people to commit abuse or by companies luring customers into false interactions for fees, while seeking to populate their apps for commercial marketing purposes.

The growing popularity of online dating apps in the UK has led to a sharp rise in romance fraud, with at least one in five people having been the victim of catfishing according to a 2021 survey by BetMinded.

In the first quarter of 2021, romance fraud cost UK dating app users more than £73.9m according to consumer association Which?. Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, recorded a 40% rise in dating app scams in the same period as increased numbers of people migrated to online platforms to meet people during the pandemic.

Creating a safe ecosystem is Fluttr’s top priority and in addition to the work verifying new members, the app also has a team of content moderators tasked with maintaining the safety of the platform by taking down explicit images and removing users engaging in abusive behaviour. Next month Fluttr will launch its AI content monitoring feature that detects inappropriate images and language before they leave the sender’s phone, preventing inappropriate content from ever reaching Fluttr’s network.

The Fluttr app’s secure and verified environment empowers Fluttrers to find real connections with genuine people in the Fluttr app where it is ‘safe enough to take the risk’, Fluttrers can connect and game together. Fluttr will launch with the Mystery Fluttr game, inspired by the popular TV show ‘Blind Date’. Mystery Fluttr will allow users to play both the roles of the contestant and the potential match in a fun interactive feature, with Fluttr planning to release new games every six to eight weeks.

Fluttr was created out of a vision to transform the landscape of social media and give people a positive experience, as well as the safety and control they deserve. Fluttr is designed to combat the malignant behaviours proliferating on the internet.

Fluttr can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play store. As an initial launch offer, all new users registering in February will be given a three-month free trial as well as the opportunity to enter a prize draw for a case of champagne and a dinner for two at the restaurant of their choice or a £1,000 shopping voucher to revamp their wardrobe or purchase the perfect date night outfit.

Fluttr’s product and brand design team includes creatives behind award-winning campaigns for Universal Music, Queen, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Selfridges.

Fluttr’s experienced management team includes the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Rhonda Alexander. Rhonda brings over 20 years of experience to Fluttr, having delivered fundraising and business growth initiatives for organisations such as networking group, The Chemistry Club, female finance campaign group WealthiHer and business consultancy The Maven Group.

Rhonda Alexander, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Fluttr, said: “While online dating is now the most popular way to meet people, fake profiles, romance fraud and instances of abuse are taking away the fun and thrill of online dating. We’re on a mission to transform online dating and reclaim its excitement by retaining its fun and engaging parts while working to make it safer by using biometric ID verification technology that ensures users don’t have to worry about matching with a fake profile.

“As well as protecting users from fake profiles, Fluttr uses AI-powered content monitoring software to prevent unsolicited pictures and abusive language from ever reaching our users’ phones, and fun in-app games to help people connect without using inaccurate matching algorithms. We look forward to seeing Fluttr help people across Britain find love by making online dating a safer and more engaging experience for everyone.”

Robin Tombs, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Yoti, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Fluttr to help people across the world create new relationships safely. Using our biometric ID verification technology, we’re helping Fluttr protect users from fake profiles by ensuring every person is who they say they are. We look forward to continuing working with Fluttr as they raise the security standards across the online dating industry.”