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True.com Wants Warnings On Personal Ads
An anonymous reader submits "News.com.com is reporting that personals company True.com is behind a push in several state legislatures to require everyone but them to include scary looking warnings above personals ads. I'm sure they're not the first, but this looks like a particularly slimy way to corner a market. And the unintended consequences look big, too: by my read of the proposed law, even Slashdot would need to include the warnings above user profile pages." In just a few weeks, this would sound like an April Fool's joke. I hope every legislator to whom this is being shopped is sent a copy of Declan's counter-example.
He is suggesting that if the bill is passed that true.com be required to post a similar "truth in advertising" notice.
Great civilizations have lived and died on false theories. Don't mess up mine with a few facts.
I believe that what's being referred to is Declan McCullagh's (the author of the above article) counter example:
- It would be just as easy to argue that True.com should be required to post labels on each page: "WARNING: TRUE.COM'S BACKGROUND SEARCHES WILL NOT IDENTIFY CRIMINALS USING FAKE NAMES. AND THE COST TO RUN THEM MAY BE PASSED ON TO YOU."
in response to True.com CEO Herb Vest's proposal:Sig cancelled due to lack of interest
California Sponsor: Asm. Fran Pavley (assemblymember.pavley@assembly.ca.gov)
Michigan Sponsor: Rep. Jim Howell (jhowell@house.mi.gov)
Texas Sponsor: Sen. John Corona (john.carona@senate.state.tx.us)
Virginia Sponsor: Rep. Joe T. May (Del_May@house.state.va.us)
Let your voices be heard!
Verified the claimed income bracket
The income bracket thing on Match.com is interesting. Is it primarily used so that people can make sure they're dating the same financial class as them, or for girls or guys to make sure they'll be provided for?
I have always underestimated my income because I didn't want to attract the wrong type of girl. Plus if I say too high a number, my dates might expect fancy dinners when I'm just as content getting Indian food at a hole-in-the-wall.
Have any guys here overestimated? Did you get any extra attention?
I never actually met anyone from match.com in real life. I even subscribed for 3 months and emailed probably 20 different girls. Most didn't reply, and the closest I got to a date was a phone call with a girl who thought the world revolved around her. So if you're thinking about subscribing... don't expect miracles! I think only tall, dark and handsome guys do well online, but they don't really need dating sites anyway!
my blog
> Even if some of the states listed passed
> True.com's desired bills, anyone(probably the
> owner of a rival site) could sue them.
No. Someone would have to violate the law, be convicted, and appeal the conviction.
> If it reached the supreme court, the supreme
> court would clearly have the power to overturn
> the law...
Yes, of _course_ they have the power to overturn it. They "have the power" to overturn any law.
> states can't regulate interstate commerce,
> etc.
However, it is not at all clear that the proposed law would violate the interstate commerce clause or be overturned for any other reason.
Are you prepared to create the test case and pay the fines if you lose? How about the legal costs?
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
I saw this one close up. True.com's hired a professional lobbyist to try to push a bill through in Virginia, and it resulted in this: The Online Dating Safety Act, HB2467
I was bird-dogging the House Science and Technology Committee meeting the day they dealt with it, and had a front-row seat on the results. Even among the most socially conservative legislators, it was seen as a company trying to legislate their business model for competitive purposes. Gotta hand it to the lobbyist, he took the True.com reps to all the right people. But in the end, it didn't really matter. When the bill came up, there was lots of snickering, and the bill died a quick and painless death.