Match.com Will Screen for Sex Offenders
In the face of a lawsuit by a woman who was allegedly raped by her sex offender date, Match.com has vehemently defended its policy of not screening members against the national sex offender registry.
The dating site has now changed its tune, announcing Sunday night that it will begin screening Match.com members.
The catch? They cannot and will not guarantee members' safety.
As a quick recap, the Match.com lawsuit stems from an incident wherein a woman, on her second date with a man she met on the site, was allegedly raped. It turned out he had been convicted of sexual battery.
The plaintiff blames Match.com for its failure to conduct background checks.
In a statement to the press, the plaintiff's attorney asserted that he had petitioned the court to issue a preliminary injunction barring the dating site from signing up any new members while the Match.com lawsuit proceeded.
His motivation was to force the dating site to start screening members.
Match.com maintains that its change in policy was prompted by the increased reliability of the sex offender database, which it previously felt was not sufficiently accurate for screening purposes.
Regardless of motivation, the site's response to the Match.com lawsuit is not as generous as it appears.
Along with its announcement, the site cautioned members that it could not guarantee its members' safety, reports CNN. The website also still retains language that places sole responsibility on members and limits Match.com's liability.
So, while the change will result in another layer of security, users are still on their own should a sex offender slip through the cracks.
Related Source:
- Match.com will screen users against sex offender database (Los Angeles Times)
- If a Business Has a Release Form, Does that Mean It Can Never Be Sued? (FindLaw)
- Woman Sues Match.com: Sexual Predator Raped Her? (FindLaw's Injured)
- Social Networks: CA Sex Offenders Could Get Banned (FindLaw Blotter)