LANSING, MI – The Michigan State Senate is considering new legislation that would require online dating sites to disclose whether criminal background checks are conducted on their members. The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Alan Cropsey, has drawn mixed reviews from both Republicans and Democrats.Proponents of the legislation are arguing that the new law would raise needed awareness about the risks associated with online dating, while opponents point out the law could only provide a misplaced sense of security since background checks would be based on the names provided by users, and names could be easily fabricated.
A Senate panel voted 4-3 to send the measure to the full chamber for a vote. In the Senate panel vote, three Republicans and one Democrat voted in support of the bill while two Democrats and one Republican voted against the bill.
“There are inherent dangers in the whole area of the Internet,” Senator Cropsey argued. “Something needs to be done.”
Kristen Kelly, a spokeswoman for dating site Match.com, said the bill would accomplish little.
“Safety in dating, that’s a concern for everyone,” Kelly said. “You’re meeting someone new for the first time. You have to be cautious. But if we get too far down the path of paranoia, we don’t see what point that serves.”
Democratic Sen. Mark Schauer agreed that the bill is flawed because it can’t account for users who hide their true identity.
“That’s a fundamental flaw with this bill,” Schauer said.
Controversy has also centered on alleged financial motivations for the bill, with some people arguing that the company True.com is behind the push for criminal background checks. True.com is a relative newcomer to the online dating scene, and the website features criminal background checks on its users as a selling point.
“As an industry, we owe it to our members to inform them of the potential hazards,” said Herb Vest, founder of the site. His company backs the legislation in Michigan.
An editorial in Detroit Free Press argued that politicians need to rebuke the bill and its proponents.
“This is just a naked corporate attempt to sell a false sense of security to people who use such services,” argued the editorial.
Similar legislation has been proposed in five other states, including California, Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Texas.
Sandie Cornillie, a 46 year-old Michigan resident who prefers online dating sites to bars and blind dates, told the Associated Press that common sense should dictate use of online dating sites.
“It’s a very safe way of getting to know someone before we meet face to face,” said Cornillie. “I haven’t met any rapists or any crazy people. It’s kind of up to you to be careful.”
