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Beginning today, Baihe.com will screen its eight million online daters against an ID authentication system it jointly developed with the Ministry of Public Security, said Jason Tian, CEO of the online service that uses extensive personality profiles to match couples.
"In the long run, we'll arrange dates only for those who are proven to be telling the truth," he said.
Tian said the move would enhance trust among online daters and prevent deception, and Website employees would keep the daters' personal information strictly confidential.
Lack of trust is often cited as a major reason for spurning Internet services. "People tend to misrepresent themselves online,'' said Beijing schoolteacher Sun Wei.
A survey by China Computer World Research showed 53 percent of online daters said they had been cheated and 32 percent felt it was risky because prospective partners misrepresented themselves online.
More than 10 million Internet users have visited matchmaking Websites. The survey found 75 percent of them had turned down requests for further contact due to mistrust.
Most dating Websites demand fax copies of daters' ID card and qualifications, which are "easy to fabricate, but hard to authenticate," said Tian.
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