Should Online Dating Sites Pre-Screen Members For Previous Sexual Offenses?

A woman is suing Match.com after she went on a date with a man she met on the site, who then followed her home and assaulted her. After the incident, a quick Google search revealed that the man had been convicted of several counts of sexual battery, prompting her to ask why aren’t online dating sites pre-screening their members?

The woman, who spoke to GMA in complete darkness in hopes of remaining anonymous, says the man who assaulted her sounded completely normal and “like a nice guy” both in-person and online. Because of her experience, her civil suit against Match.com suggests the site run a person’s name through a federal sex offender data bank off of the member’s credit card when they first sign up. Her suit would also put a temporary restraining order for prospective Match.com-ers, preventing new members from signing up until some kind of check is in place.

Match.com’s attorney responded to the suit by saying, “It’s impossible for a company with a million subscribers and over 10 million members to do a thorough and complete background search on people.” He continues, “Of course Match.com don’t want to give a false sense of security.” When it comes to the dating on the internet, is there ever a sense of security? Should online dating sites be held accountable for the decency of their members? If they become required to screen for previous sexual offenses, where does it end? Will they scan for previous crimes? Convictions? Parking tickets? It’s a slippery slope.