Floridas State Panel OK's Internet Dating Service Bill

The MiamiHerald.com talks about Florida's new ''Internet predator awareness and online safety act''. The bill would require online dating services serving Florida to:

disclose online and by e-mail whether or not it conducts a criminal background check. If it does, it must tell the consumer that background checks are "fallible."

This is similar to a bill New Jersey recently passed called the Internet Dating Safety Act.

Once again True.com is trying to push this bill through. They already do background checks on its members. Both Yahoo! Personals and Match.com are reluctant to do criminal background checks since they are reported to be unreliable. I agree with a statement that a Yahoo! lobbyist made regarding True's push on internet dating legislation:

"This doesn't have to do with online predators as the bill says," said Bill Ashworth, a lobbyist with Yahoo! "This is a food fight between True.com and the rest of the Internet dating industry."

I don't think True is doing this for the safety of their members, I believe it has more to do with publicity and getting there name mentioned in news articles.