According to research, three-in-four users of dating apps experience some form of sexual violence through these platforms. In response, the Australian government has told online dating companies to get their act together or face legislation.
Online dating apps will have quite a long time to remedy the situation and implement safeguards into their apps. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said that companies such as Tinder and Bumble have until 30 June 2024 to create voluntary code of conducts to address safety concerns.
The code of conducts won’t just be platitudes. They will have to include things like improving engagement with law enforcement, supporting at-risk users, improving safety policies and practices, and being more transparent about the harms.
Commenting, Rowland said:
‘What we want to do in this sector is not stifle innovation, but balance the harms. Online dating is actually the most popular way for Australians to meet new people and to form new relationships. Online dating is actually the most popular way for Australians to meet new people and to form new relationships.’
Dating apps like Tinder and Bumble do already include safety features in their apps, however, it’s clear from the research that the current measures do not go far enough. While the Australian government is setting a 30 June deadline, we could see the online dating apps introduce safety measures as soon as they are ready.
One measure we could see added, according to online dating research Kath Albury, is to give users who have reported an incident a clearer indication of how quickly they will get feedback. She also said that companies could provide more personal responses to users ‘in a time when they’re feeling quite unsafe or distressed.’
Faced with a choice of self-regulating and being forced to implement safety measures through legislation, almost all of the online dating companies will choose to voluntarily improve their safety measures. It should be interesting to see what they come up with over the next several months.
Source: AP News
