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Indiana Law Journal

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2023

Publication Citation

98 Indiana Law Journal 721 (2023)

Abstract

Online dating companies have monetized and capitalized on the idea of finding love, creating a billion-dollar industry matching individuals with their “soul mates.” With its perks and benefits, the online love industry is not without risk. Despite some dating companies limiting user eligibility in their terms and conditions to those without felony and sexual offense convictions, there is no actual screening process established by these companies. Furthermore, there are no uniform safety protocols among dating app companies. This lack of uniformity coupled with access to all, including violent offenders, allows repeat offenders to engage in “delightful” conversations with unsuspecting strangers across the globe.

Since the rise in popularity of online dating, there have been several instances of violent offenses, ranging from rape to murder, stemming from multiple dating apps. With the steady increase in violent crimes on the web, online dating companies promising a fairy-tale ending have not upheld their end of the deal with their customers. Now that using online dating apps has become more prevalent in today’s society and with the changing landscape of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—which precludes software providers from liability for information placed on their sites or activities occurring through the use of their sites as long as they are acting as passive conduits—companies should utilize a uniform safety protocol to make their dating sites safer for users.

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