A new lesbian dating app will use facial recognition to ban biological men from using the platform.
The app's announcement has drawn outrage from the transgender community.
Feminist and gender realist Jenny Watson founded L’App to combat the rise in biological men claiming to be "lesbians" on other dating platforms.
To sign up, users must undergo a verification process, which includes a facial scan, to ensure that they are female.
The Daily Mail reports:The software, which Ms Watson claims is 99 per cent accurate, analyses features including bone structure, the shape and positioning of an individual's eyes, eyebrows and nose shape or size. It will also be able to detect if a person is presenting a live image rather than just putting a photo of a woman up to the camera by detecting movement, blinking motions and heat emissions.
Tests have revealed that if someone tries to disguise themselves as a woman by putting on a wig or make-up, the technology will spot the deception.
Ms Watson, 32, a town planner, told The Mail on Sunday: 'There is no female-only dating apps at the moment. Lesbians need an app which they can use without being messaged by trans-identifying males.'
Watson explained that lesbians were also being banned from dating platforms for specifying that they were only looking for biological women — herself included.
"Any time I've joined a lesbian dating app or any other dating app myself, I get banned," Watson told the Mail. "To avoid trans-identified males, I will always write a little blurb, nothing disrespectful, saying my preference is for women and please respect my boundaries."
Watson is also hoping to open a single-sex lesbian bar.
Naturally, transgender people and those who support them expressed outrage over the news. Pretty sure this breaks a few laws and is in conflict with the Equality Act 2010. @legaltweetz what's your opinion? https://t.co/vga5WIlRum So when they inevitably f up and mistake a butch or stud I hope they sue them for everything they have. Transphobia always ends up affecting c*s ppl too. Also facial recognition software is extremely racist. https://t.co/37U1KOiRpa So the transphobic conservatives got us all fighting amongst ourselves now? Interesting... happy pride month.
— Sophie Molly 💚🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (@SophieMolly_OFF) June 3, 2024
— 🐱🦁🐯🐈🐈⬛🐅🐆 (@psyduckguy19) June 3, 2024
— Schtaron from Greece: FDJT🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@RondaSantis2) June 3, 2024
"So the transphobic conservatives got us all fighting amongst ourselves now? Interesting... happy pride month," one user lamented.
