Dating apps could face increasing scrutiny from the European Union (EU), as the political organisation looks to come down harder on child sexual abuse materials.
There has been some ongoing confusion surrounding the new regulations. In December, many social media and messaging services were blocked from reviewing the content that was being uploaded.
According to EURACTIV, a spokesperson for the European Data Protection Supervisor said: “Measures envisaged by the Proposal would constitute an interference with the fundamental rights to respect for private life and data protection of all users of very popular electronic communications services, such as instant messaging platforms and applications.”
However, temporary exemptions have since been introduced that allow certain platforms to continue monitoring.
Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, but it’s very likely that dating apps of all sizes will fall under the updated rules. Video-conferencing tools, that have become particularly popular as people work from home, will also be granted permission to moderate communications.
Protecting children is a big priority of the online dating industry and companies work extremely hard to make sure underage users can’t create accounts.
Match Group also become the first technology company to sign an anti-child abuse bill in March 2020. The EARN IT Act requires tech companies to comply with law enforcement regulations against child sexual exploitation or lose their legal immunity over user-generated content.
Read more here.