The Online Dating Association (ODA) is set to host a workshop exploring the topic of online dating regulation on Thursday 29th November 2018. The workshop takes place at a Fleet Street venue in London, running from 3pm to 5pm.
The focus is on how incoming waves of social media regulation may or may not impact dating providers, and whether specific apps (such as those which host ‘rich’ content) can be classified as social media sites.
Speaking to GDI, an ODA spokesperson said: “With the UK Government and others in Europe looking at the case for more regulation of social media providers, the ODA think this is the right time for leading players to get together to explore the issues and implications of the Government or others seeing social media and dating services as one and the same.”
The discussion will cover the following core points:
- Sector developments – what’s turning heads? How do rich media content, celebrities and social media followers impact dating?
- Somebody’s watching you – who are the new and different stakeholders at the window?
- What are the implications if dating is classified as social media?
- What should we focus on as a collective – where would good practice guidance demonstrate responsibility and raise trust?
In July, GDI interviewed returning ODA CEO George Kidd. On the role the ODA can play in speaking to regulators on behalf of dating platforms, he said: “When able to speak for a significant element of the market we can access regulators, Ministers, officials and so on, to inform and influence in ways firms would find difficult.
“The recent activities of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are a case in point. One of my first messages was to the CMA proposing a sit-down to understand where they are vis-à-vis dating services and to ensure our approach to things like contract renewals is in line with practice elsewhere – or to bring back clarity and reasoning if they see it differently.”
To reserve a place at the workshop, please contact Ann Austin – ann@onlinedatingassociation.org.uk