Rowland demanded the code from app companies after the Australian Institute of Criminology found in 2022 that three in four people using dating apps had experienced some form of sexual violence, including harassment, threatening language, image-based sexual abuse and stalking.
Both Match and Bumble own multiple dating apps that operate in Australia. Under the new rules, both will shut the dating accounts of users across apps if safety policies are violated.
“If an industry participant operates more than one dating service, any enforcement action taken against an end-user for a serious violation of the online safety policies is applied to all known accounts used by that end-user,” the new code says.
Dating apps will also publish regular reports detailing the number of Australian accounts terminated and a new compliance rating system giving users guidance on how each service is meeting its commitments.
A new body to oversee the code will also be established, made up of three members of the public: a lawyer; a person with experience in social media; and a person with expertise in online safety, gender-based violence or public policy.
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Dating app companies will also come up with a plan to potentially share information about users who “might pose an increased risk of committing a serious violation” of safety policies.
The code will commence in October, allowing the companies three months to put the new practices into place.
“Online dating is now the most common way to meet a partner in Australia,” Rowland said on Thursday. “These services did not develop overnight, and the lack of action over the last decade means that regulation has not kept pace with technology.”
Rowland said the code meant Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and all the companies behind dating apps in Australia had “made clear, public commitments to improve the safety of their services – including to crack down on abuse and de-platform dangerous users”.
A range of experts on dating apps and technology have raised concerns about the way the apps tend to funnel some men towards misogyny.
So bad did things become on one app, Plenty of Fish, that they introduced a “no dick pics” badge that women could display on their profile. They sold it as “something to really celebrate”.
Rishworth said that abuse on dating apps was a form of gender-based violence and had to end.
“We must create communities – both in the physical and virtual world – where everyone is treated equally and with respect,” she said. Rishworth said the dating apps code would improve safety and help Australians make better choices about the apps they use.
Match and Bumble last week said the industry had worked co-operatively for months to prepare the code.
“Any instance of violence, harassment or abuse is unacceptable to us, and we do not hesitate to remove perpetrators from our platform,” a Bumble spokeswoman said.
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