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Internet dating safety bill

Posted by James, 27 Nov 07

Most people usually cringe about the idea of internet dating for one main reason … safety. With all the scams being pulled off on the internet these days, who wouldn’t be. But even with the dangers that come with just being on the internet, for example, credit card frauds, Western Union fraud etc. has that ever stopped us from shopping online? We still do… and so do online daters.

The New Jersey legislators pushed forward a plan to try and make online dating sites safer. However, much as they conceded it was a flawed bill. An Assembly committee released to the full Assembly legislation to require the sites to notify New Jersey residents whether they do criminal background checks, and whether they allow people with criminal convictions to have access to the site.

Linda Greenstein, one of the bill sponsors said the bill was going to make online dating sites take more responsibility for their member’s safety. However she admitted that the plan isn’t perfect.

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Most people are known to give false names on online dating sites just so they can remain anonymous. Due to this fact, dating websites can’t do much about such people and won't be able to take anyone fingerprints to ensure identities.

Most internet companies also said that background checks are unreliable. "It's ineffective and bad for consumers," said Marshall Dye of Match.com. Bill Ashworth of Yahoo! said the unreliable checks will provide a false sense of security. "This bill really does more harm than good," he said.

Greenstein and the companies are to meet and consider changes. However, the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee voted to release the bill anyway.

"We are charged with protecting the safety of the public we serve and this bill is a major step, even though it's not the perfect bill," said Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, D-Bergen, the committee chairman.

Do you think this will make internet dating safer? And how will they screen international members? Is it bad for consumers as most internet companies put it?

Tags: internet dating safety bill, internet dating safety, internet dating, online dating safety

1 responses to "Internet dating safety bill"

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fkoi says:

Posted: 27 May 10

My reaction when I read a member of a governing body saying that they are passing legislation aimed at "protecting the safety of the public we serve" is to secure my billfold and get out of that neighborhood as quickly as I can. It seems today that the job of many elected officials is to get reelected and any sort of blather they can utter to do so is just part of the con. But then I may be a tad cynical.

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