Interest is brewing from various quarters to require background checks for users of dating websites.
Most users who join dating sites have no idea how effective the particular dating site is. They therefore sign-up with several dating sites either in a bid to find the ideal site, or to simply try all different sites simultaneously until they find their mate on one of them.
If the government lays down the law that people using dating sites succumb to background checks, most people cannot afford to pay for the background check. For those who pay once and are discontented with the website, they are unlikely to pay over and over again to try other dating sites. Therefore, the government would inadvertently have dealt a big blow to online dating, which may spell the demise of online personals business.
Be that as it may that a background check has its benefits, can we say it's fair to single out dating websites? What about classified ads in newspapers and periodicals? What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Are newspaper companies therefore, also going to be required to conduct checks on advertisers before personal ads could be posted? If not, why not?
What was the matrix of this proposal in the first place? The whole idea is predicated upon making it safer for people to date online. Basically, anybody with a criminal background would either automatically be disallowed from signing-up on dating sites, or must have something next to their profile that says the user has a criminal background. The former is more likely.
With that said, are people without a record guaranteed to be above board when they meet someone online, or would it merely create a false sense of security for users of dating sites?
Furthermore, background checks can only be conducted with the most ease on USA residents. What then is to be done about the other millions of users from other countries around the world who contact Americans? Unless the law prohibits Americans from dating foreign users, and vice versa, a law requiring background checks would be grossly ineffective, and not likely to achieve the desired effect.
Besides the obvious negative impact of this law on online dating industry, government involvement in dating sites sets a dangerous precedence for regulating other areas of the Internet. Where do we draw the line?
What the government should be focusing its energy on is educating users about ways of conducting background checks. Any user on an online dating website can dig up information on somebody he or she is communicating with. Many county websites now provide public information such as marriage/divorce records, mortgages, business ownership, sex offences, felony convictions, etc. With this type of information available free of charge, is there any sense in the government getting involved? Surely it'd point out people with a record, but the negative repercusions on dating sites clearly outweigh the benefits.
Perhaps the single most important point to consider in this law would be how often a dating site needs to repeat background checks on it's millions of members. A user with no criminal record at the time he or she signs up for an account, may end up with a record anytime afterward, which automatically renders the old background check useless.
This proposed law is nothing more than window dressing on the part of the legislators pursuing it. Fingers are crossed to see what becomes of it.
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Richard Akindele is the Founder of http://www.oasisoflove.com, a full-featured, and FREE online dating service. Features offered include: Audio/video chat, private photos, spam watch, etc. Sign-up and start to meet singles in your local area.