Are Dating Apps Allowing In Registered Sex Offenders? A House Subcommittee Is Investigating

A House subcommittee is investigating popular dating services such as Tinder and Bumble for allegedly allowing minors and sex offenders to use their services.

Bumble, Grindr, The Meet Group and the Match Group, which owns such popular services as Tinder, Match.com and OkCupid, are the current targets of the investigation by the U.S. House Oversight and Reform subcommittee on economic and consumer policy.

In separate letters Thursday to the companies, the subcommittee is seeking information on users’ ages, procedures for verifying ages, and any complaints about assaults, rape or the use of the services by minors. It is also asking for the services’ privacy policies and details on what users see when they review and agree to the policies.

Although the minimum age for using internet services is typically 13 in the U.S., dating services generally require users to be at least 18 because of concerns about sexual predators.

SOURCE


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22 thoughts on “Are Dating Apps Allowing In Registered Sex Offenders? A House Subcommittee Is Investigating

  • January 31, 2020

    So someone who goes to an ADULT meeting site is somehow a child predator? I still don’t follow that reasoning.

    Reply
    • January 31, 2020

      They can’t even follow their own reasoning because it’s beyond reason.

      Reply
  • January 31, 2020

    Once registered sex offenders are taken off the dating sites, you can finally relax and let your 14-year old daughters meet men on the internet! Without registered sex offenders on dating sites you can trust that the 38-year-old man your 14-year old daughter met on a dating site is a wholesome man with only the best intentions! Encourage your children to explore other sites. The fellows on 8chan can teach your children which race of people is responsible for all of the world’s misery, and how guns are the answer!

    Reply
    • January 31, 2020

      I lol’d at this.

      Reply
  • January 31, 2020

    I sent the following emailed feedback (with pdf attachments) to Time.com regarding the news story under the “source” link here.

    I am SORNA registrant, but I am not a sex offender. I did offend sexually once in my past. I got caught, tried and sentenced. I performed my full sentence – prison, probation, and fines and fees. It is paid in full. I am no longer a sex-offender. I have not offended sexually (nor broken any law) since then. I am a former sex offender. I am also a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen of the US and Florida.

    I use a couple of dating apps that allow registrants to enroll. This has helped me to reintegrate into society (as best I can) and to heal and move forward with my life.

    There is a common notion that sex offenders have a high risk of recidivism. This is patently untrue!
    The scientific evidence clearly and unequivocally shows that those who have committed sex crimes have the lowest rates of recidivism of any crime type except for murder. (Presumably, most murderers murder exactly once and never again.)
    Please see the attached pdf files. They are from credible sources.

    PrisonPolicy.org

    Yale Law Journal

    The Washington Post

    Women Against the Registry (This is a collection of links to bona-fide research studies by US States and Universities)

    Sex Offender Management Assessment and Planning Initiative (SMART.gov) – a US Federal entity

    While I realize that this is not a popular topic, a grave injustice is being committed. If we do not allow former sex offenders to reintegrate back into society and move on with their lives, we are turning our backs on science, reason, sound-policy and wisdom! We are hounding people to death – even taking away their chances of rehabilitation.
    Thank You.

    Reply
  • January 31, 2020

    I met my previous and my current girlfriend both on Yahoo personals before they were absorbed by match.com. Previous relationship was 8 years and current relationship is 11 years so far.

    Reply
  • January 31, 2020

    The only problem with those sites are lawn enforcement who go on those sites to target the people are on it then after targeting them they. Then say they are 14 most of all they even put that on there arrest sheet people open your eyes

    Reply
  • January 31, 2020

    dating services generally require users to be at least 18 because of concerns about sexual predators.

    Yeah, because “predators” only go after minors. You’d never hear of adults preying in adults. Not possible. 🤦🏻‍♂️

    Match Group said it uses “every tool possible” to keep minors and bad actors off its services

    “Bad actors”? You mean like Jim Carey? Or you mean like spousal abusers, drug addicts, armed robbers and DUIs?
    Because we all know that anyone with a sex offense was certainly born with that offense.

    Match added that the national sex offender registry needs to be updated so that perpetrators’ digital footprints can be tracked and blocked by social media and dating services.*

    No, it doesn’t, Match. Do you people remember a time BEFORE sex offense registries? Or are you all 20 yrs old?
    Do you remember a time when there were dating ads in all local newspapers?
    Now go look at data that tells how many sexual offenses happened back then and if the “perpetrators” had prior sex offense convictions.

    Seriously, this shit needs to stop. The fear mongering has gotten beyond the scope of ridiculous.
    Basically they’re all saying that someone with no sexual offense history (on documents in courts) will not commit sex crimes. How stupid can these people be?

    Reply
    • January 31, 2020

      “How stupid can these people be?”

      Stupid enough to have a subcommittee on it apparently

      Reply

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