Why do I have to verify my account, and how does it work?

Verification is how we confirm that people on EQUALS are real and are the age they say they are — which is also how we keep our under-16 and under-18 protections working. It happens in the app: you set a main profile picture that clearly shows your face, then take a quick photo with your finger up so we can match the two and check your age. The whole thing takes about 30 seconds.