Florida Is Part of Nationwide Public Safety Campaign to Require Online Dating
Services to Fully Disclose Whether They Conduct Criminal Background Checks on
Their Members
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Advocates of legislation that
would enhance the level of public safety in the world of online dating today
applauded Florida lawmakers for recognizing the need to better protect the
health and safety of consumers who choose to engage in online dating services.
The House Criminal Justice Committee voted 5-to-2 in favor of HB 1035, and
members of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Services Committee voted 6-to-2 in
support of SB 1768. The bills would require providers of online dating
services to disclose if they do or do not conduct criminal background checks
on their clients. Background checks have proven effective in screening out
potential users of online dating services with criminal records such as sexual
assault, injury to a child, murder, and theft.
Supporters of the legislation include the Florida Coalition Against
Domestic Violence, online dating participants and businesses such as True.com,
an online dating service that currently conducts criminal background checks on
its consumers.
"As an internet dater and internet dating coach, I can tell you that this
bill makes great strides to inform and protect internet daters better than we
can on our own without this legislation," said St. Petersburg resident Melanie
Dodson.
Internet dating is a rapidly growing phenomenon in Florida and across the
country. Many companies in this field provide a valuable service to millions
of customers. However, these services also provide easy access for those who
would prey on potential victims. One recent study found that one-in-five
users of Internet dating services mistakenly assumed that criminal background
checks were being conducted by their online dating company.
Senator Victor Crist who sponsors the measure in the Senate said "I
believe that stopping even one of these predators from easy access to
potential victims justifies the disclosure requirements we are proposing.
This good legislation will give Florida's online dating consumers one extra
measure of protection, along with other common-sense precautions they take
when dealing with individuals they meet online."
Data compiled by True.com paints a compelling picture of the value in
conducting criminal background checks to better protect the safety of online
daters. When the company first applied the background checks to their
database, True.com screened out 11 percent of its site applicants. In Florida
alone, there were more than 475 instances where site applicants were found to
have sexual offenses felony convictions or provided false or inaccurate
information.
"We have an opportunity to help Florida's users of online dating services.
They have a right to know if criminal background checks are or are not being
conducted on members they are talking to online and possibly meeting," said
HB1035's sponsor Representative Kevin Ambler. "This disclosure requirement is
an important public safety measure that will help safeguard honest Floridians
from dangerous sexual predators and convicted felons looking for potential
victims."
The full disclosure requirements of this legislation require online dating
services that do not run criminal background checks to disclose this
information to their customers. To further protect the health and safety of
online daters and to encourage them not to overly-rely on background
screenings, the legislation further requires firms who do run criminal
background checks to disclose that the screening is not fool-proof and also to
provide consumers with safer dating tips.
SOURCE True.com
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Related links:
http://www.true.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/919610.html
CONTACT:
Elizabeth E. Hirst, +1-850-222-3767, or
+1-850-509-3834, or Taylor L. Cole, APR, Sr. Director of
Marketing, +1-972-333-4343, both of True.com
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