Should dating sites be held responsible if some meets an offender on their site?

[timothyZ]

Just wondering what you all think. A lady met a guy on match.com. He ended up being some sort of sex offender and he attacked her. Now she's filing a civil suit against the website, because she feels they should screen people.

What do you think? Should websites be held responsible? If so, where does this stop? Would a message board have to be held accountable if someone met on there? How about a church if two meet in a church?

Here's the news story.

Match.com to screen dating site for sex offenders - Yahoo! News

 

[Amber.ly]

This is why meeting someone you know online can be a bit scary. But it is not the website's responsiblity to monitor internet users love lives.

Now, I think that dating websites SHOULD offer to conduct background checks and certify you as "safe" but I don't see that happening.

 

[timothyZ]

This is why meeting someone you know online can be a bit scary. But it is not the website's responsiblity to monitor internet users love lives.

Now, I think that dating websites SHOULD offer to conduct background checks and certify you as "safe" but I don't see that happening.

It's kinda sad that so many women now days don't have that traditional, protective screening method known as family, dad, big brothers and the like, to kinda weed out and intimidate the bad apples who want to date them.

This lawsuit is probably is the result of the breakdown of the traditional protective cover of family/dad/big brothers.

 

[SneakerPimp53]

Or more likely it's an unfortunate, but rare, occurrence that happened because certain general common sense safety protocols weren't used.

 

[K9_Trainer]

It's kinda sad that so many women now days don't have that traditional, protective screening method known as family, dad, big brothers and the like, to kinda weed out and intimidate the bad apples who want to date them.

This lawsuit is probably is the result of the breakdown of the traditional protective cover of family/dad/big brothers.

No, its not the result of "traditional protective cover".

Its the result of just flat out stupidity.

 

[Sketcher]

How are they going to screen people who are truly malicious, though? The sites only know what people tell them. If you want to commit offenses like that, all you have to do is lie and use an anonymous web proxy.

 

[Wren]

Are we seriously blaming the victim? Not cool.

I could have been raped on three different occasions if the three CF guys I met (alone) had not been the very good guys that they are. So, I normally despise blaming the victim, but I'm particularly sensitive to it with this topic.

I don't think we can blame dating sites, since there is only so much they can do, but I do think having an option to have someone certified, as Amber suggested, is a good idea.

 

[SneakerPimp53]

If you walk down a dark alley at night you may not to be blame for getting mugged, but your own poor choices certain contributed to that happening. If you met guys on the internet and don't follow safety precautions then your own poor choices would contribute to anything that happens.

 

[explodingboy]

Are we seriously blaming the victim? Not cool.

I could have been raped on three different occasions if the three CF guys I met (alone) had not been the very good guys that they are. So, I normally despise blaming the victim, but I'm particularly sensitive to it with this topic.

I don't think we can blame dating sites, since there is only so much they can do, but I do think having an option to have someone certified, as Amber suggested, is a good idea.

I'd agree it's never a good thing to blame the victim, but when the victim is behind a frivilous lawsuit, it invites a certain degree of negativity.

 

[Rhye]

From what I have learned, you have to be very careful. And its scary. Very scary. Thats all I can say.

And I agree with Historia, we should NOT blame the victim!!!

 

[Wren]

.

 

[Wren]

I'd agree it's never a good thing to blame the victim, but when the victim is behind a frivilous lawsuit, it invites a certain degree of negativity.

I'm not talking about the lawsuit. I'm talking about the attitude towards a woman who is raped by a man she met online. I find that attitude to be disgusting... as I'm sure people can tell.

 

[Sketcher]

It's pretty sad when women have to assume that all potential dates (women get raped on dates even if they don't meet online, even if they met through friends) are rapists.

They shouldn't have to assume that, but they definitely should not put their trust in whatever a website may "certify" either. Reasonably safe practices do exist for a reason.

 

[Wren]

They shouldn't have to assume that, but they definitely should not put their trust in whatever a website may "certify" either. Reasonably safe practices do exist for a reason.

I deleted that post, but I still want to respond (though I really should get going). I don't think women should rely on a site to make her safe. That's why I said dating sites can only do so much. I just think it's pretty sad, the state of our society.

 

[Sketcher]

I deleted that post, but I still want to respond (though I really should get going). I don't think women should rely on a site to make her safe. That's why I said dating sites can only do so much. I just think it's pretty sad, the state of our society.

It is.

 

[Tink]

Dating sites cannot be held responsible.

It is the responsibility of the person to obtain information before agreeing to meet someone. That said, I do not think it is the victim's "fault" if they are abused. It is the fault of the perpetrator and only the perpetrator.

 

[Amber.ly]

I think this women could have been more careful and used better common sense.

You meet a guy, go on a date and then take him home to your apartment? No.

I'm cautious about meeting people I meet online, guys especially. When I met up with ThunderPeel/Austin, one of my brother's went with me. Did I think Austin wasn't legit? No way but when it comes to my safety, extra precaution works in my favor.

She wis not to blame for being raped but she does have to live with the fact that she was assaulted because she was not more careful.

 

[GQ Chris]

Buyer beware.

 

[Tink]

I think this women could have been more careful and used better common sense.

You meet a guy, go on a date and then take him home to your apartment? No.

I'm cautious about meeting people I meet online, guys especially. When I met up with ThunderPeel/Austin, one of my brother's went with me. Did I think Austin wasn't legit? No way but when it comes to my safety, extra precaution works in my favor.

She wis not to blame for being raped but she does have to live with the fact that she was assaulted because she was not more careful.

Yep.

 

[LadyOfMystery]

Blind post:

No I don't think they should be held responsible. Anyone can lie over the internet, it's not IMO possible to screen everyone signing up and take their word they're who they say they are so if someone, heaven forbids lies about who they are, that's not the websites problem.