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People looking for love online may soon need a background check as the federal government considers ways to stamp out sexual violence among people on dating apps.
A meeting on Wednesday between dating app companies, government representatives and police was described as “an important first step” in increasing protections online.
Federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said there had been a discussion about requiring background checks for users of dating apps.
But he cautioned that changes to laws and policies cannot be made overnight or without proper consultation.
“None of us underestimate the complex issues of privacy, user security, data collection and management that are involved… there is no law that fixes this problem,” Ms Rowland told reporters in Sydney.
“Many cases of abuse are perpetrated by people with no criminal records or convictions…and that’s why the discussion also focused on what could be done to encourage respectful interactions online.”
Dating app companies, government representatives and police met on Wednesday to discuss how to make online dating safer.
Following the meeting, federal, state and territorial attorneys general will be asked to consider criminal justice responses to online violence and abuse as a matter of priority.
Dating app companies were also notified and Ms Rowland said there was room for improvement in the way user complaints were handled.
“We need the industry to improve its action, its transparency and its accountability in the way it responds to consumer complaints,” he said.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth, who attended the meeting, said there was “no silver bullet” to solving sexual violence.
While people with lived experience should have their voices heard on reform, Ms Rishworth said they should not be solely responsible for their safety.
“There needs to be a proactive response, where both the perpetrators and the perpetrators of the abuse are held to account,” said Ms Rishworth.
“That it is their behavior that is addressed and sanctioned, not the focus on the surviving victims.”
Sexual violence includes online abuse, such as revenge pornography, sexual harassment, abusive language, threats, and controlling behavior.
The meeting heard that one in three people were subjected to sexual violence by someone they met online, including sexual assault, coercion and revenge pornography.
Electronic safety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said dating apps need to take greater responsibility to crack down on bad behaviour.
One in three people told the Australian Institute of Criminology that they were subjected to sexual violence by someone they met on a dating app, including sexual assault or coercion and revenge pornography.
A woman is killed by her partner every 10 days in Australia.
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said technology could be a power for good and many people were happy after meeting their partners online, but there were too many heartbreaking stories of women using dating apps.
Dating app Bumble Australia and Tinder’s parent company Match Group welcomed the opportunity to discuss online dating safety measures with lawmakers.
“We know that domestic and sexual violence is not only a huge problem in Australia, but around the world, and that women, members of LGBQTIA+ communities and First Nations are most at risk,” a Bumble Australia spokesperson said.
Users of the dating app in the US can already run background checks on partners with a representative from the main group of Tinder and Bumble saying it would adopt a similar system for Australian users if there were a public database. of crimes available.
Online daters in the US can now check if their potential partner has a history of violent or sexual crimes by using a third-party database search.
Match Group’s Director of Business and Legal Affairs, Jared Sine, said the company would look to implement a similar system for Australian systems if a similar public database was available.
“We would look to partner with third parties that may host that data. Ultimately, we don’t want the data, but we would work with the parties to try to do exactly what we’ve done in the US. daily telegraph.
The company already bans perpetrators of abuse and harassment on the platform, including taking action against members for unacceptable behavior on other dating apps.
A Match Group spokesman said the safety of its members was critical.
“We remain focused on building security in everything we do, from leveraging technology to investing in moderation and machine learning tools to partnering with leading security experts and creating innovative security features in the app,” they said.