If you are wary of online dating, it’s a good thing. Columbia Journalism did a 16-month investigation and discovered many of the sites with free services don’t perform background checks. No big deal? Well, how about KNOWN sex offenders being allowed on the sites? And when Match Group owns 45 dating sites (including its flagship, Match) - it's super creepy.
What to do?Even though reading the terms of service on a dating site is tedious AF, it's a good plan - as it'll tell you if those safety checks are performed. But the investigation showed one major concern: don’t expect to find those checks on Tinder, PlentyofFish, OKCupid, or any of of Match’s free platforms.Only the paid ones get that service.
The problem is, according to a Match Group spokesman, they don’t collect enough information from free users or even some paid users to perform the checks.
- So sure, The company admits there "are definitely registered sex offenders on our free products, but they also point out that the 157 "incidents" on their site“need to be put in perspective with the tens of millions of people that have used our dating products.” Sure, but also keep in mind that Match only started checking anyone after Carole Markin was raped by a six-time offender she met on the site and went public.
Source:ProPublica