Online Dating: Sleeping with the Enemy
Nov 23, 2010 Online Dating News
Some men and women claim to like dating bad guys and bad girls. But what about attracting the really bad ones through internet dating? I’m talking about the hardened criminals.
Criminals do their jail time in order to pay their debt to society. Everyone deserves a shot at love. But do you deserve the right to know if someone you are communicating with through online dating sites is actually a convicted felon?
Most Online Dating Sites Do Not Check Members for Possible Criminal History
But what most of the companies behind internet dating sites say is they do take the security of their members very seriously. Still, for reasons such as cost, hassle, incomplete information as well as inaccuracies, they choose not to conduct background checks of members in the felony and sex offender databases. On the other hand, they don’t want to create a false sense of security to members if they don’t have access to the latest and greatest criminal records.
Some argue that because of the money online dating sites generate, they should pay for criminal background checks as a part of the services they provide to members. A slightly different argument is that online dating sites could upsell members and charge extra for the option of background checks.
But really, how many men and women would want to enter an online dating relationship with a known felon? The answer is probably not too many. Once criminals complete their prison sentence, they are entitled to their rights and freedom again, with the exception of registered sex offenders. Therefore, internet dating companies could open themselves up to potential lawsuits by providing criminal history of members.
Use Caution in Offline or Online Dating
Hopefully, you don’t need an online dating news blog to teach you to be smart about protecting yourself and your privacy. It is safe to say that wherever singles today connect, whether it is at a local coffee shop, nightclub, or an online dating site, people should always exercise caution when getting to know strangers.
Sure, your neighbors could be dangerous and you might not know until it’s too late. However, it’s also quite possible the men and women who act like your neighbors online might not be who they present themselves to be.
If a person wants to hide, it’s easier to do behind a computer screen than in real life. You can create false online dating profiles even with photos fairly easily if you wanted to hide your past.
True.com actually does background checks of every one of its members that signs up for the online dating site. It rejects less than three percent of the people for being convicted felons, which is a statistic in line with the national average.
In the United States, only the state of New Jersey has adopted an internet dating safety law. It requires that online dating sites provide users with safety notices and inform them if they don’t conduct background checks on members.
Tags: background checks, internet dating, online dating news, online dating profiles, singles
Leave a Reply