International Online Safety Groups Revise Dating Industry Standards

Two major online safety groups have partnered to create a new industry standard for online dating in the wake of reports that dating app companies aren’t taking needed steps to protect users on their platforms.

The Cyber Rights Organization (CRO) and Online Dating and Discovery Association (ODDA) joined forces to educate industry leaders in different areas of safety including human rights, data privacy, and best business practices, according to DatingNews.com. The ODDA sets guidelines for dating app companies and alerts them to potential risks, while the CRO is a watchdog, and protects people who are using dating platforms.

“The alliance between CRO and ODDA is driven by mutual commitment to user safety in the digital dating sphere,” the ODDA said, according to DatingNews.com.

A recent investigative report found that Match Group was allowing people who had been reported for sexual assault via one of its apps to be able to join another of its dating platforms, without giving notice to users that the person had been reported for abuse. This has sparked new debate about the safety of dating platforms and what the companies behind them are willing to do to protect users.

Dating apps are particularly useful tools for scammers as well, who engage and ensnare users into giving them money. Even darker, dating apps have been used for human trafficking and extortion, without much recourse for victims.

Dating apps are also vulnerable to hackers, and with the amount of personal information people share over them, makes this a huge safety issue.

The new Online Dating and Discovery Association Standards and Guidance the organizations are creating covers a broad range of safety topics: data privacy, governance principles including DEI, environmental and social standards, human rights, consumer awareness, best business practices, and compliance regulations. The groups will also provide information about data privacy laws from countries around the world.  

The partner organizations will also be developing training modules for dating app companies who are members of ODDA, including Match Group, Feeld, DatingLab, and happn. According to DatingNews.com, the training modules will eventually become part of the ODDA’s planned Training Academy.

The third step the organizations are taking is to create webinars and workshops for online dating organizations that cover their specific safety issues, including ethical digital engagement.

CRO said in a statement: “We strive for a world where the algorithmic infrastructures that run institutional, commercial, and social technologies become more transparent and accountable, allowing citizens to check them.”