Online Dating Regulation – would it be unenforceable, ineffective?

Citing concern over such portals being an online hunting ground for sexual predators and other criminals, lawmakers in a half-dozen states are considering new laws mandating the performance of criminal background checks by online dating sites, among other provisions. Although New York already has a law on its books that regulates “social referral services,” that law amounts to a series of measures designed to prevent fraud on the part of dating services, both online and offline. The laws under consideration in California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia are ostensibly designed to improve the safety and security of dating site use. The proposed legislation varies from state to state, with some legislatures seeking to require criminal background checks of site members by dating sites, and other states considering a measure that would require dating sites to post a warning to their users if they do not perform such background checks. Some lawmakers counter that something must be done, and argue that the risk is clear, and the proposed measures are reasonable. Critics from within the industry of online dating have noted that one particular competitor in the dating market has been pushing for such laws, because the requirements dovetail nicely with that company’s marketing strategy. http://www.ynot.com

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