Online Personals Watch: News on the Online Dating Industry and Business

New US Identity and Background Legislation

OPW - In May 2022, Neil Davis, CBO of RealMe, spoke during the LTR summit about certain data protection legislation that's looming over online dating apps.

Utah HB352

• Taking effect in January 2023
• If you do business in Utah, you are either required to conduct background criminal checks on all your users whether they are in Utah or not. Or, say "We don't do background checks on our users, your safety may be at risk."
• Build Online Dating Safety Hub with safety guidelines.
• Fine - the number of your users in Utah x $250.

Connecticut Act Concerning Online Dating Operators

• Taking effect in October 2022.
• By Oct 1st you have to verify the identity of everyone on your app. Then you either do background checks and kick off people with criminal convictions or you have to say that you don't do background checks and that their safety may be at risk.
• Build Online Dating Safety Hub
• Keep data of every Connecticut for 2 years.
• Fine - $25K per instance

RealMe can verify the identity of your users using phone numbers and do background checks and reputation checks.

Florida and California are now drafting the same legislation, both to be effective in January. Read the full version here. Sound file for download here.

Mark Brooks: Neil will cover the upcoming New Jersey law which is similar to the CT law in the next Trust & Safety Connect online panel discussion on Aug 17th. Email me at mark@courtlandbrooks.com for a free seat.

The RealMe and UrSafe Partner to Expand SOS Button Technology to Dating Platforms

EIN NEWS - The RealMe SOS button powered by the UrSafe app is the world's first hands-free, voice-activated personal safety tool. Features of the SOS Button include:

• It can be triggered anytime by a designated safe word.
• It provides an easy to use, handsfree lifeline in situations where users may feel unsafe using their phone.
• Using various safe words will trigger various responses, including calls to law enforcement, friends and family.
• Friends and family can view user's location in real time including a live video stream
• Security provided in over 195 countries

See full article at Ein News

See the top news on RealMe
See the top news on UrSafe

Match Group Expands Background Checks to Match.com and Stir

CNBC - Users on Match.com, which is popular among serious daters, and Stir, which is for single parents, will now have access to screen potential dates through the apps. Match Group has been working with Garbo, a nonprofit background check platform that shows public records including arrests, convictions and sex offender registry information, since a 2021 investment in the company. Match Group then launched a pilot program with Garbo on Tinder. Each search costs $2.50 plus a 75-cent processing fee per transaction. The company declined to comment on how many people have used the service through Tinder.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
See full article at CNBC

Mark Brooks: The RealMe is also very worthy of your consideration, and bring together a large pool of background check resources from around the world. RealMe have an industry-specific offering for the dating industry and are a client of Courtland Brooks and support OPW. See dating offering.

See the top news on Match Group
See the top news on Match.com
See the top news on Stir

SmartMatchApp Partners With RealMe

GLOBE NEWSWIRE - RealMe, the online reputation platform improving trust and safety online, partners with SmartMatchApp, a matchmaking and membership customer relationship management (CRM) software. RealMe will offer added protection to SmartMatchApp's 100K users worldwide by providing access to an extensive database of ~275M verified profiles. RealMe's platform will provide rich and timely background checks on their users and thus greater safety for clients.

See full article at Globe Newswire

See the top news on RealMe

Elon Musk Wants to 'Authenticate All Real Humans' on Twitter

CNN - Elon Musk's Twitter feed states that he will "authenticate all real humans." Musk could seek to require real names on accounts or require photo id, or integration with 3rd-party services where users are already known. His pet peeve is spam accounts.

Facebook made changes to its names policy in 2015 after critics pointed out that abuse victims and other vulnerable groups had good reasons to use pseudonyms. Users can provide reasons to the company why they avoid using their real names.

by Brian Fung
See full article at CNN

Mark Brooks: Behavior changes considerably when people are anonymous. Dating platforms really need to know and assure that real humans are behind each profile, and are 'good actors.' No small task, but at least the ability to check liveness and verify someone is the same person as in their photo is easy with FaceTec. We also have the purpose-built RealMe which provides the ability to verify someone is real, and the state of their reputation and priors. (Full Disclosure: FaceTec and RealMe are clients of Courtland Brooks)

After 'Tinder Swindler' Shockwaves, Tinder Adds In-App Background Checks

MEDIA POST - Tinder is adding a $2.50 background check option to its popular dating app via Garbo, the new in-app service, which allows people to access public information about violent behavior, including arrests, convictions, and sex offender registry records. "It's been a long time coming," says Mark Brooks, CEO of Courtland Brooks, which consults with online dating apps. "Background checks have been in the works for years. But records haven't always been up to date, and there are gaps in databases." He points out that back in 2011, Match.com agreed to screen users to weed out sex offenders as part of a legal settlement. And while it did so, it didn't make that information public. Brooks says that's likely for two reasons. "First, that might give people a false sense of security. The most dangerous person is the one who hasn't been caught yet." Second, he says, it's unnerving to users who simply hadn't yet wondered if the date they just set up is with a scammer, a sex offender or an ax murderer. Visible background checks can "make people think, 'Hold on! I didn't think I'd need to do something like this!'" Brooks is a consultant to RealMe, a competitor to Garbo that helps detect fake dating profiles. For now, Garbo is only available on Tinder. But Match says it will soon roll it out to additional sites.

by Sarah Mahoney
See full article at Media Post

See the top news on Match Group
See the top news on Tinder

Q&A With Jeffrey Tinsley From RealMe

FHM - Before the pandemic began, 30% of all adults have used dating sites or apps before. Pew Research Center found that 59% of people thought online dating was a good way to meet people. So, how safe is it, and what are dating apps doing to make it safer? FHM spoke with Jeffrey Tinsley, the developer behind the RealMe software that countless dating apps have been putting into action on their platforms that gives users verification and background checks.

Q: How safe is online dating right now?
A: The risk of scams and fraud is increasing. According to Psychology Today, 84% of online daters falsify some portion of their profiles, and~10% are entirely fake. NPR recently reported that Americans lost $143M in romance scams. So a lot more needs to be done to keep people dating online safe.

Q: What things should people look for while swiping on apps that may indicate the other profile is fake, a bot or someone who has a criminal background?
A: One of the first signs a profile might be fake is that it is barely filled out and only has one or two photos. And if they send you links to check them out on another site, delete them. If the dating app partners with RealMe, they'll see the RealMe icon which tells them the truth about the person they're interested in.

Q: What future trends in dating security do you foresee happening?
A: I think there is going to be a safety shakeout. Users will start to walk away from the apps that don't take member safety seriously. One of our recent surveys showed that 9 in 10 online daters wish they could obtain more information about the person they were talking to and would be more likely to meet up with them if their profile was "verified".

Q: Which apps are "doing it right"?
A: WhiteLabelDating, a network of ~4000 dating apps. They have integrated RealMe into all of them. Two dating apps for animal lovers, Dig for dog people, and Tabby for cat people, have also partnered with RealMe. We are in talks with other dating apps.

See full article at FHM

See the top news on RealMe

MatchMde Advances Daters' Safety With New RealMe Integration

PR NEWSWIRE - RealMe, the online reputation platform, partners with MatchMde, a match-making platform that leverages technology and science to curate more authentic and meaningful matches. MatchMde will now offer its U.S. based users the ability to verify profiles, access important background information and reputation details of their matches via its new RealMe integration. RealMe's platform uses public records to source background information that can include criminal, sex offender status, personal reviews, and more to make online interactions and transactions safer.

See full article at PR Newswire

See the top news on RealMe

Venntro Media Group Integrates RealMe Background Verification

PR NEWSWIRE - Social discovery and online dating business, Venntro Media Group, has integrated RealMe, an online reputation platform, to protect their members. The RealMe platform offers background verification checks across an extensive database of ~275M profiles containing publicly available background information and reputation details.

See full article at PR Newswire

See the top news on WhiteLabelDating.com
See the top news on RealMe

Can Evolutionary Theory Be Used to Understand Online Dating Abuse?

FORBES - Aug 17 - A new study published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence explores why people engage in abusive behavior on online dating sites and apps. The answer, according to the researchers, has to do with two well-known evolutionary phenomena: mate value discrepancy, or the difference in resource value between oneself and one's romantic partner, and intrasexual competition, or the rivalry that occurs between individuals for potential mates. Partners who feel as though they are less "valuable" than their romantic partner and those who view dating as highly competitive are more likely to do things like monitor a partner's whereabouts online, delete ex-romantic partners on social media, post embarrassing comments or photographs relating to a partner or ex-partner, and threaten a partner online. A recent Pew Research survey found that only half of Americans viewed online dating as safe. Industry insiders are also worried about user safety; a recent study by RealMe, an online reputation platform dedicated to cultivating safety and trust, found that 80% of dating insiders admitted to seeing an increase in scamming, catfishing, and other bad faith actions over the past year and that two-thirds said their users are asking for more protection, especially female users.

by Mark Travers
See full article at Forbes

See the top news on RealMe

RealMe, a Simple Solution for Helping People Be Safe While Dating Online

YAHOO LIFE - Aug 9 - RealMe is a turnkey solution for dating platforms to add to their systems to help people be safer online. Here is an interview with RealMe CEO Jeffrey Tinsley.

Q: What is the biggest issue you see happening online right now in regards to security?
A: Phishing scams are the most common where scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information. Unemployment benefit scams, employment scams, and social security scams were at an all-time high.

Q: What suggestions would you give to platforms to create a safer environment?
A: Adding an identity verification requirement, specifically with respect to age verification is key. Content moderation is extremely important.

Q: When it comes to dating apps, many have fake accounts, spam users or bots. Why is RealMe the solution in fixing this?
A: RealMe's integration empowers users with trustworthy identity verification and instant access to 275M US background profiles. We verify that consumers are in fact who they say they are and provide background information including criminal records, sex offender status and personal reviews.

Q: Which apps have started using your services?
A: We are proud to say that we recently announced a partnership with White Label Dating. We are live on Dig, Tabby, Mingle2, and Bristlr.

Q: With technology changing every day, what future trends do you predict will happen in terms of technology and online personal security?
A: Anonymity is coming to an end due to safety and security becoming the new standard requirement to protect users. It's the responsibility of marketplaces, dating apps, and other platforms, and it's good for business to keep their users protected and attract more through enhanced safety protocols.

Q: How can companies sign up with RealMe or at least begin taking steps to secure their platforms?
A: You can contact our VP of Business Development, Courtney Kovacevich.

See full article at Yahoo Life

See the top news on RealMe

White Label Dating Integrates RealMe Background Verification

PR NEWSWIRE - Aug 5 - RealMe is an online reputation platform fostering greater trust and safety within online dating apps and has announced a new partnership with WhiteLabelDating.com (WLD), a leading software service that powers 4K+ dating sites.  WLD will integrate RealMe, giving millions of daters access to an extensive database of ~275M reputation profiles containing criminal records, sex offender status, social profile details, personal reviews, and more.  WLD's JustSingles.com, Magic Dating and Plenty More Fish, will now offer profile verification and instant access to important background information and reputation details of app members.

"With over 45M members across our dating brands, we have a responsibility to keep our community safe," says Ross Williams, CEO of Venntro Media Group, the company behind White Label Dating. "Member safety has always been at the forefront for Venntro. Our partnership with RealMe will strengthen our current strategy and provide our members with critical background verification on potential matches, enabling them to make safer decisions while looking for a connection online."

Neil Davis, RealMe's Head of Dating said, "A recent survey of ~1K members of the online dating industry indicated over 90% of dating executives saw increased harm and harassment incidents on dating apps and websites in the last year. White Label Dating's integration of RealMe gives millions of dating app users access to important information. A significant step forward in combating this upward trend of scams, harassment, and violence on and off dating sites." See https://therealme.com/dating.

See full article at PR Newswire

See the top news on WhiteLabelDating.com
See the top news on RealMe

Members of Dig and Tabby Dating Apps Will Have Access to Background Information With RealMe

PR NEWSWIRE - July 27 - RealMe, the online reputation platform improving trust, transparency, and safety within online dating apps, partners with two popular dating apps for animal lovers, Dig, for dog people, and Tabby, for cat people. This summer, both apps will offer their members the ability to verify profiles and view important background information and reputation details of potential partners via their RealMe integration.

See full article at PR Newswire

See the top news on Dig
See the top news on Tabby
See the top news on RealMe

Podcast: Dates & Mates With Damona Hoffman & Mark Brooks (RealMe)

DAMONA HOFFMAN - July 22 - Romance scams reached a record high over the course of the Pandemic. The Federal Trade Commission reports a record $304M in losses due to romance scams in 2020. In this podcast, Damona is joined by Mark Brooks, the official dating industry advisor for RealMe, a dating app integration that offers users the ability to run background checks on potential matches.

Mark Brooks: "Any decent app is gonna have a lot of protection on the backend to look for users' behavior, and part of that protection is the RealMe. As a comprehensive background checks and reputation platform, RealMe is able to authenticate and get a good confidence level that the people coming on the platform are really who they say they are. That's the first protection. And then beyond that, we are looking at "goodness" ranking. What's their behavior on social media? Past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior so to have a window into that world that is off that particular dating app is absolutely crucial, and that's what RealMe does.

See the top news on RealMe

Dating App Insiders Remain 'Highly Concerned' About User Security, According to Survey

FORBES - July 15 - A Pew Research survey (2020) reported 46% of Americans viewed online dating sites as unsafe. The top problem areas were: People lying and misrepresenting, spam, illicit behavior, and sexually explicit messages.

New research conducted by RealMe, an online reputation platform dedicated to cultivating safety and trust, and Global Dating Insights, suggests industry executives are equally concerned. 63% of dating app insiders believe the risk of scams and fraud in online dating is increasing and half admitted they could be doing more to protect users.

Match announced it was adding more robust background checks to Tinder. The Meet Group added AI-powered face verification badges to profiles and implemented iOS device checks to prevent bad actors from returning.

And, White Label Dating's network of 4,000 dating sites will be integrating RealMe this year, giving millions of daters access to an extensive database of over 275 million reputation profiles containing criminal records, sex offender status, and more.

"This survey confirms the risk of scams, harassment, and harm on dating apps is growing and both industry insiders and consumers are aware of the need for change," says dating expert Charley Lester. "RealMe is able to answer this call for improved safety and security and more by allowing dating app users to verify identities and gain visibility into important background information surrounding the people they meet online. Additionally, RealMe's platform touts several truly progressive enhancements designed to empower more people to take control of their online reputation

by Mark Travers
See full article at Forbes

See the top news on Match Group           See the top news on The Meet Group
See the top news on Tinder                     See the top news on White Label Dating