Flawed Online Dating Bill Being Pushed in New Jersey

Billosaur writes "According to a report on Ars Technica, a committee of the New Jersey Assembly is trying to push an on-line dating bill even though it contains significant flaws. The Internet Dating Safety Act would require dating web sites that interact with customers in New Jersey to indicate whether they do criminal background checks and if people who fail such checks are still allowed to register with the site. 'The backers of the New Jersey Internet Dating Safety Act undoubtedly feel that the law provides at least a measure of protection despite its flaws. In this case, however, users of such sites are probably better off assuming that their personal safety remains a personal responsibility, rather than placing faith in a background check that has little chance of uncovering any information on a person attempting to hide it.'"

Comments

Other New Jersey Legislation

[Apple Acolyte]

Another piece of New Jersey legislation requires business owners to disclose to the public whether or not they have ties to organized crime.

heh

[rice_burners_suck]

1. Use common sense.
2. The website should tell you to use common sense. (i.e., chat online before speaking on the phone; speak a lot before agreeing to meet; meet somewhere public the first few times; meet their friends and family and see if they look normal. remember if you marry someone you're marrying their family, and if their family is psycho, chances are they are psycho too, even if they behave normal for a while).
3. The website should detail if background checks are done and if so, which ones.
4. It doesn't require a state law to deal with the problem of background checks.

Re:heh

[Froboz23]

I don't see what all the fuss is about. This seems like a good idea.


SLASHDOT DISCLAIMER: IN COMPLIANCE WITH NEW JERSEY PENAL CODE 15-1302, SLASHDOT HAS PERFORMED ALL REQUIRED CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS ON USER FROBOZ23, WHOSE LEGALLY REGISTERED NAME IS ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK. IN 1996, THIS PERSON HAD NON-CONSENTING SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH AN AQUATIC MAMMAL, A CLASS 12 FELONY. OH, AND THERE WAS ALSO THAT J-WALKING TICKET BACK IN '92. FOR SHAME. IF YOU INSIST ON MEETING WITH THIS VILE, NASTY PERSON, WE RECOMMEND YOU MEET IN A PUBLIC PLACE. PRE-PLAN YOUR ESCAPE ROUTES, AND BRING A HIGH-CALIBER WEAPON, JUST IN CASE.

Legislation pushed by True.com?

[algorithmagic]

I read a couple years back that True.com is pushing state legislatures to adopt such bills as a boost to their own business model (and a hindrance to their competitors). Anyone know if this is the case here?

What about the fatties?

[0xdeadbeef]

When are they going to criminalize it when women post pictures that are five years and 100 pounds out of date? That's the real danger of internet dating sites.

And if the person DOES have a record?

[Ngarrang]

A person goes to jail as punishment. Once out, that punishment should not continue, with society treating the person as a pariah. That leads to recidivism. Not all crimes make that person a danger to be avoided. There are some crimes, yes, that if the person committed them, might make you pause to trust them in that situation again. But, let us not treat the background check as a magic bullet.

Re:you always hear about

[UbuntuDupe]

Heh, that was my reaction too: "Hold on -- are we flagging criminal convictions so that women can AVOID them, or so they can DATE them?"

Distance from North Pole to Equator along earth's surface: ~10,000 km.
Distance from Earth to Sun: 150 million km.
Distance from Sun to nearest other star: 42 trillion km.
Distance from what women say they want in a man, to what they really want: farther still.

Re:Backed by a online dating company?

[cayenne8]

I don't get it...are they next doing to require background checks for people going to bars to try to pick people up or actually find someone to date? I hear some people try to meet other in coffee shops too (I'd not think that would be as good, as booze is a 'conversation lubrication', and coffee just makes one paranoid and nervous, but, I digress).

I mean...what's the difference in where you meet and try to find people? What makes internet dating inherently more dangerous than dating in meatspace? Are we doing to be required to carry out background checks with us on our papers as well as our identifying information....oh wait...RealID....?

Seriously, I don't see the difference....no matter where you try to go to interact with people, you have to have some discretion in who you trust and go out with...