There’s a new kind of app trending on TikTok: the so-called “catch a cheater”. Promoted through videos made by paid content creators, they promise to uncover secret dating profiles and expose unfaithful partners. Apps like Cheaterbuster and CheatEye can scan dating platforms, matching uploaded photos to real people.
It’s easy to see why they’re popular. The promise of an app confirming your worst fear for a small fee is intoxicating. However, these apps are a terrible idea.
How Do These “Catch a Cheater” Apps Work?
Here’s how they work: users upload a photo of the person they want to check. The app runs that image through a vast database of dating profiles built through scraping. They use facial recognition to look for visual similarities. Sometimes they’ll cross-reference names, cities, or ages to strengthen the match.
That search spits out potential profiles, often for a fee. Just like that, someone’s dating profile becomes public information without their knowledge or consent.
The biggest flaw is the one users don’t think about. These tools can’t tell you when a profile was created. Was it from years ago, before the relationship began? Was it made by someone else using stolen photos? You’ll never know. The app strips the profiles of context.
The False Promise of Certainty
These apps market themselves as giving users peace of mind. What they really do is fuel a person’s insecurities over their relationship. A match on Tinder doesn’t automatically mean someone is cheating. People’s photos are stolen all the time for catfishing or scam accounts.
The technology also isn’t foolproof. Facial recognition systems are prone to false positives, especially when image quality is low or lighting varies. That “proof” you’re given could actually be a stranger’s profile with similar features. Yet, once that result appears on your screen, the damage is done. The seed of doubt has already been planted.
Violating Boundaries and Laws
In addition to destroying relationships, these apps cross ethical and legal lines. They scrape user data from dating platforms like Tinder, which is a direct violation of their terms of service.
In Europe, they could also violate privacy regulations like the GDPR. These laws restrict how personal and biometric data can be collected or used without consent. It doesn’t matter if the apps operate in legal gray zones. They turn private data into surveillance tools for public consumption.
When “Checking” Becomes Dangerous
There’s also a darker side. These tools can easily become weapons in the hands of controlling or abusive partners. What starts as insecurity can spiral into monitoring, coercion, or violence. If you’re dating a narcissist or a sociopath, these apps give these types of people an excuse to harm their partners. People with malevolent traits expect perfection from the ones they’re dating. If they think their partner is cheating, the relationship turns into an abusive one.
The apps feed the idea that love and trust can be measured through surveillance. That the need to prove your partner has betrayed you is a substitute for communication.
That’s not just unhealthy; it’s dangerous. Yet, the companies behind these tools profit from it. They sell “peace of mind” to people who feel suspicious, without taking any responsibility for the chaos their results can unleash.
The Real Problem Isn’t the App
Let’s be honest: if you’re tempted to use a “catch a cheater” app, the problem isn’t technology or even your partner. It’s the lack of trust. These apps prey on the insecurities of people who don’t know how to communicate with their partners. They encourage you to outsource honesty to an algorithm.
If you suspect your partner is cheating, you don’t need an app to find the truth. You need to have a conversation with them. If you can’t have that conversation, maybe that’s a sign the relationship isn’t meant to be.
A Culture of Surveillance
The rise of these “cheater buster” apps says more about us than about the technology itself. We’ve normalized the act of turning our personal problems into a makeshift reality show. We’ve turned people into data streams to monitor and audit. It’s a cultural shift where privacy and trust are seen as obstacles rather than foundations.
In that world, everything you’ve posted online becomes a potential betrayal. When that mindset takes hold, the relationship is already over.
“Catch a cheater” apps exploit people’s fears. They violate privacy. They promote the worst instincts in people: jealousy, insecurity, and control. If you’re looking for trust in your relationship, you won’t find it in a database. You’ll find it in being honest and vulnerable with your partner.
