TECHWEB -- Mar 3 -- True has taken on the rest of the online dating industry in pushing state legislators to require matchmaking sites to conduct criminal background checks on members or post a warning that no such screening has been done. "We believe this legislation would save lives and prevent rapes, robberies and assaults," Herb Vest, True CEO. "I believe this raises the bar on the industry and it would bring many more single people, currently not using online-dating services, into our industry, once it's perceived as safe." Kristin Kelly, Match PR Director said, "It's special-interest legislation whereby you are taking a market differentiator of a particular company, and, through legislation, enforcing it on the rest of us." Nevertheless, True insists it will push on with its campaign, expecting some states to sign some type of regulation by the summer. The rest of the industry plans to keep on fighting, with Match.com leading the charge.
Mark Brooks: True has lit a PR firestorm by shooting for the soft underbelly of the industry and then playing David and Goliath with Match.com. Great PR ploy, but what will be the long term effects of inviting political attention? Your comments please...
