Online dating poses numerous challenges. Aside from having to sift through a number of questionable profiles showcasing potential suitors who have likely embellished their height by a couple of inches, gotten creative with their job title, and perhaps use images that don’t quite match their current aesthetic, there’s also the act of exchanging messages itself. Once you’ve actually matched with someone, then the real challenges arise – from tales of heartbreak pertaining to ghosting or breadcrumbing, to endless banter that never eventuates into an actual date. But for some online daters, the experience is made all the more harrowing after receiving negative or threatening comments.
It’s something Australia’s eSafety watchdog is looking to put an end to. Now, dating apps are being told they must cooperate to share information about “bad actors” who use threatening behaviour, racism or negative comments to abuse and harass others so such behaviours can end. It comes after new data suggests three-quarters of Australian adults reported at least one negative online experience in the last year, according to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner.
The eSafety Commission refers to the federal regulator for online safety. They recently released new data that shows in 2022, nearly one-third of Australians received unwanted inappropriate content online, such as pornography or violent material – yes, unwarranted dick picks included. Data showed 30 per cent were also called offensive names, and 25 per cent reported that their personal information was being misused, like having photos shared without their consent.
It’s alarming to consider that three-quarters of Australian adults have reported at least one negative online experience in the last year, according to an eSafety survey of 4,783 people. These findings present a figure that includes impersonations or threats of violence, and reflects a 30 per cent increase compared to 2019.
As Julie Inman Grant expressed, her agency may soon issue legal notices to online dating services to report on how they are responding to violence and threats. Inman Grant also expressed that the agency’s investigators would be on the look out for misinformation and abuse of First Nations people during the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum. As Inman Grant explained, “We know Indigenous Australians are twice as likely to receive targeted online harassment and abuse [as the general population]. In coming months we’ll be releasing a range of education resources developed with the Indigenous community. The voice is top of mind for us.”
Inman Grant said there’d been a rise in online abuse and negative experiences during the pandemic, perhaps due to widespread misinformation and a powerful mixture of fear and doubt surrounding the coronavirus and its subsequent lockdowns. For Inman Grant, there is a concerning trend in which bad behaviour online is being “normalised.”
“There’s a lot more online angst and volatility, and seems to be pervasive…I thought things would have plateaued and tapered off by now,” she said in an interview with The Guardian.
“There are predators there who use a similar MO to target women or assault or harass. They tend to create multiple accounts, and once they’re suspended or banned, there are 40 different sites they can go. We’re asking dating apps to work together, and once they detect bad actors, to share that information.”
