The future of online dating: The facial recognition app that matches up potential couples - but not before checking the sex offenders registry



NameTag allows users to snap strangers and see their social media profiles

It will also cross-reference photos with dating sites including Match.com

In addition, users can check photos against various criminal databases



For singletons, approaching strangers they’re attracted to in a public space can be nerve-wracking. After all, their personalities are a mystery - and they could have criminal tendencies.



However, a new facial recognition app soon to be available for Android and iOS is claiming that it’s going to make life much easier for those in the dating game who’ve spotted someone they like while they’re out and about.



Called NameTag, it blurs the lines between online and offline dating by allowing smartphone users to simply glance at someone nearby, or take their photo, and instantly see that person's name, occupation and even visit their Facebook, Instagram or Twitter profiles in real-time.

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Appy days for daters? NameTag allows smartphone users to photograph strangers' faces to learn more about them Frame game: App designer Kevin Alan Tussy demonstrates how the software works For peace of mind the NameTag app will cross-reference photographs against the sex offenders registry

NameTag sends photographs wirelessly to a server, compare it to millions of records and in seconds return a match complete with a name, additional photos and social media profiles.



FacialNetwork.com, the developer of NameTag, is also creating technology to allow the scanning of profile photos from dating sites such as PlentyOfFish.com, OkCupid.com and Match.com .



For added peace of mind, the user can also cross-reference the photos against more than 450,000 entries in the National Sex Offender Registry and other criminal databases.



Keeping it real: NameTag takes online dating offline

NameTag's creator Kevin Alan Tussy said: ‘I believe that this will make online dating and offline social interactions much safer and give us a far better understanding of the people around us.



‘It's much easier to meet interesting new people when we can simply look at someone, see their Facebook, review their LinkedIn page or maybe even see their dating site profile. Often we were interacting with people blindly or not interacting at all. NameTag can change all that.’



NameTag is currently available on Glass for Beta testers – meaning that the developer is letting people outside the company examine how it works to help iron out bugs and glitches.



However, Google will not allow the app to be used for Glass beyond this as it contravenes its privacy rules.

Tom Wiggins, Deputy Editor of tech mag Stuff, thinks the app is a good idea, but that users should exercise caution.

He said: 'It could be very handy if you're not afraid of scaring people off with your creepy app. It's evidently pretty clever but I think most people would find it quite invasive. And isn't the point of dating to find out more about people? This kind of defeats the object.

