Company Continues Long-Standing Commitment to Safer Dating for Consumers
DALLAS, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/-- TRUE.com(R), the leading scientifically
based online relationship service, congratulates New Jersey legislators for
yesterday enacting the nation's first online dating legislation -- which is
designed to protect the growing number of New Jersey citizens who are going
online to meet potential dates. The Internet Dating Safety Act (Senate
Bill-1977/A4304) requires online dating services to disclose their criminal
background screening practices and to offer safer dating tips on their
sites. With the growing concern nationwide about online safety overall,
this legislation reinforces TRUE's steadfast commitment to safer online
dating. TRUE's proactive policy requires criminal background and marriage
screenings on all of its communicating members -- the only practice of its
kind among major online dating sites.
Sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assemblywoman Linda
Greenstein, New Jersey's new public safety law requires online dating sites
to disclose whether criminal background screenings are performed, as well
as to provide safety tips to members. Several other states, including New
York, Pennsylvania and Florida among others, are seriously considering
similar legislation. When registering for membership on TRUE, all users
must represent that they have not been convicted of a felony or of a sexual
offense and that they are not married.
"New Jersey's Internet Dating Safety Act represents a crucial step in
the right direction to help protect consumers' safety, and hopefully the
other 49 states will follow New Jersey's lead and enact safer dating
legislation in their states this year," said TRUE founder and CEO Herb
Vest. "There is no uniform safety standard for the online dating industry,
and the industry overall has largely ignored its undeniable need to further
improve responsibility to member safety. We at TRUE simply won't stand idle
on this front, and we implore other companies to put their members' safety
as a high priority like we do and to start performing screenings. We're
even happy to help by lending our expertise to other online sites that
decide to provide screenings. Through legislation like New Jersey's, our
own vigilant pursuit at TRUE and other industry companies' support, if we
can protect even one person from harm, then these efforts are certainly
worthwhile."
Codey added: "Hopefully this bill will remind people that they need to
be cautious when using online dating sites. At the very least, this law
will make people aware of whether or not a site does criminal background
checks. Hopefully this will spark a dialogue and encourage people to take
precautions, regardless of whether a site does background checks or not."
Bill Noble, executive director of the Safer Online Dating Alliance,
commented: "The New Jersey law represents a significant victory in the
effort to protect online daters and their children, and we're encouraged
that other states are already considering similar legislation to join in
this important fight. We at SODA continue to maintain that online dating
services cannot simply cross their fingers, and hope their members are
safe. Consumers need more online dating companies like TRUE to step up and
aggressively address this extremely serious, potentially life-threatening
situation."
TRUE's Lawsuits
In addition to screenings, TRUE's site warns criminals to stay away --
as well as declares the company may vigorously pursue individuals who
misrepresent themselves and report violators to appropriate federal, state
and local authorities, including parole boards. Living up to the company's
word, TRUE took the unprecedented step in the industry of being the only
online dating company that has pursued civil prosecution of an individual
for misrepresenting himself online.
TRUE's first lawsuit was filed in November 2005 against a convicted
felon and registered sex offender in California who misrepresented his
felony status and improperly accessed TRUE's database. The lawsuit resulted
in an agreement in September 2006 that prevented the convicted felon from
signing up, using or communicating through any online dating or
relationship service, among other terms. The company also filed a civil
lawsuit in March 2007 against a convicted felon and registered sex offender
in Florida, charging that he misrepresented his felony status when
attempting to access TRUE's members. The judge in that case also
permanently banned the felon from accessing TRUE's Web site.
"From day one when I founded this company, I made a solemn promise to
create a safer dating environment for our members and all consumers as
well," said Vest. "I can't guarantee that ex-felons and married individuals
cannot get on TRUE; but, I can guarantee that they will be very, very sorry
they did."
Additional TRUE Safety Measures
TRUE acknowledges that no background screenings are 100 percent
foolproof, although the company knows they do provide a critical level of
proactive protection that increases members' safety. In addition to the
background and marriage screenings, since its founding in 2003, TRUE has
vigorously invested in the technologies, training and processes to become
the safer online dating service for singles.
The company has developed a comprehensive member safety program, led by
former Dallas police chief William Rathburn, that further protects members
each day by identifying and removing scammers and other fraudsters;
reviewing e-mails, profiles and photos; and monitoring chat room
discussions. TRUE also employs a number of private investigators and former
policemen from major cities around the country who lend their expertise in
support of TRUE's prosecution efforts.
TRUE also has created services to aid in greater safety. Private chats
let members "meet" each other in a virtual setting before visiting in
person, and member-to-member ratings allow them to indicate their dating
experiences. The site also offers a variety of tips for safer dating
online.
About TRUE
TRUE is the leading scientifically based, online relationship service,
whose mission is to help singles find long-lasting and fulfilling
relationships. Founded on an advanced, scientifically based compatibility
test uniquely endorsed by Psychology Today and independently certified to
meet the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, TRUE is the
only online relationship service that actively seeks to further protect the
safety of its communicating members by conducting criminal background
screenings and single-verification screenings. With the help of proprietary
research and in conjunction with national and international advisors in the
field of relationship and psychology, TRUE's team of experts guides members
step-by-step through all stages of the relationship-building process. To
find out more about how TRUE helps people around the world
Live.Love.Learn.(R) please visit http://www.true.com.
Press Contacts:
Janelle O'Haugherty
Vollmer Public Relations
972/488-4790 (office)
817/223-3328 (mobile)
janelle@vollmerpr.com
SOURCE TRUE.com
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Related links:
http://www.true.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/919610.html /
CONTACT:
Janelle O'Haugherty of Vollmer Public
Relations, +1-972-488-4790, cell, +1-817-223-3328,
janelle@vollmerpr.com, for TRUE.com
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