A group of Russian developers is working on a new dating app called Sputnik, which requires users to pass thorough background checks for tax debts, alimony and unpaid loans before making any matches, Izvestia has reported.

The app is being create by programmers from Murmansk and is supported by the National Technology Initiative (NTI), a platform created by Russian President Putin to boost the country’s technology sector. 

Alongside the background checks, the app will also have unique features such as a blind partner search and anonymous profiling.

To sign up, Sputnik users must link their dating profile to various legal databases, as well as Proverka.Online, an online service that aggregates information from police wanted lists, court records, driving licence databases and business registers, amongst other sources. According to project leader Pavel Kitov, this will allow users to legally verify potential partners' financial and legal backgrounds. All the sensitive information will be encrypted and access will be restricted to within the app, Kitov also noted.

To use the app, users must complete an initial anonymous questionnaire. This is followed by a more detailed one, which includes a video call with an employee from the platform itself to discuss personal topics. Unlike Tinder, matching on Sputnik will be done anonymously, without being able to see the potential partner. Instead of optimising for looks, the algorithm is instead focused on shared interests, lifestyle, past relationships and health status. Photos and videos can be swapped only after mutual interest in the anonymous profile is confirmed.

"In Russia, there are no analogues with a blind selection method and detailed personal data processing. Existing dating apps on the market are overloaded with visual elements: partners are chosen not based on rational criteria for long-term relationships, but superficially, by appearance," Kitov explained.

The app will limit the number of anonymous profiles, matches and contact exchanges to help users not get lost in a sea of accounts and take a more serious approach to partner selection.