How verification works
Every profile on this site belongs to someone who has proved who they are. Nothing is published until that is done. This page explains exactly what we check, because a badge is only worth something if you can see what stands behind it.
A government-issued document
The advertiser photographs a passport, ID card or driving licence with their camera. Our verification partner Didit reads it and confirms the document is genuine and that the holder is 18 or older. Uploading a saved image is not accepted; the document has to be held in front of the camera.
A live video, not a photo
The advertiser records a short video reading a one-time code shown on screen. This is what makes a stolen photo set useless: the code changes every time and cannot be known in advance.
The face in the video against the face in the photos
We compare a frame from that video to every photo on the profile using face recognition. This is why a visible face is required in the photos. Once the check has run, an advertiser may blur the face or hide the photo from public view, and it still counts towards this check, because we keep the unblurred copy privately for the comparison and never publish it.
A human reviews it
When the automated checks pass, a person reviews the submission before the profile goes live. A profile cannot reach the verified state without all of the above, and cannot be published at all while unverified.
What we keep, and what we delete
We do not store your identity document. Our verification partner holds that record, and we keep only the outcome and the fact that you are over 18. The verification video frame used for the face comparison is deleted after 30 days. Verification media is never shown on your profile and is never public.
Verification expires
A verification is good for 30 days. Before it lapses the advertiser is warned, and if it lapses the profile comes off the site until a new live video is approved. This is deliberate: a check from a year ago tells you very little today.