Protect users or face regulation, government tells dating apps
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: The federal government has issued dating app operators with an ultimatum on sexual assault and safety: develop a voluntary code of practice to protect users or face regulation.
The numbers: The Australian Institute of Criminology found three in four people using online dating experienced some form of sexual violence facilitated by the app. This included sexual harassment, abusive or threatening language, image-based sexual abuse and stalking. Any code would not be "set and forget" as the government pushed to have it in place by mid-2024 and reviewed nine months later.
The context: Communications Minister Michelle Rowland noted that the sector had already begun lifting its standards after a landmark roundtable that brought together dating platforms, law enforcement, the social sector, advocates and federal and state governments — "but we want to build on that momentum as well", she added.
What they said: "We want to have a graduated and staged approach to how regulatory intervention is done in this space. But be in no doubt, if this does not deliver improved safety for Australian users, we will have no hesitation in taking this further," Rowland said.
"When it comes to the information that dating apps actually have, they certainly are in a position to identify when there are patterns of behaviour emerging and potentially when laws have been broken. There's an opportunity here around their connection with law enforcement but also more broadly around enforcing responsible, respectful relationships," Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said.
The source: AAP
