Can we chop Florida off along with California?

Published on April 9, 2005 By Gideon MacLeish In Current Events

"News" from Florida (my source was a blog,and I haven't verified the story, but it did get me to thinking).

Apparently a legislator in Florida wants a law regulating online dating services. While the bill proposed at present would require these services to inform their clientele if they do background checks on their customers, it's only a quick step towards mandating them.

A law requiring a web based dating service to notify its clientele if they perform background checks is,in short, a toothless law, for several reasons

Rule number 1 is, if they don't do a background check on YOU, they didn't do it for the other 50,000 registered users.
Rule number 2 is, short of biometrics, there is no real way of verifying that the person registered is ACTUALLY the person they purport to be.
Rule number 3 is the obvious loophole used by child porn sites and casino gambling websites: If it's illegal in the US, people trying to skirt the law will simply operate out of country where it is illegal and unregulated
Rule number 4 is, let's try to avoid becoming a COMPLETE police state, shall we?

This bill, if real and not another in the endless stream of internet rumours, is simply a feel good piece of legislation designed to appeal to a specific constituency. It is yet another example of government sticking their nose in areas where they don't belong.

Newspaper personals are just as potentially deceptive. The ONLY requirement of the online personals should be that all users are consenting ADULTS seeking OTHER consenting adults.

Comments

foreverserenity

on Apr 11, 2005

You have to admit though Gideon that it would be good for these online dating services or any dating services for that matter, do a complete background test on the people who are part of their clientele. There was a woman who was talking to a criminal and didn't know it. She was about to meet with him personally until she saw his picture and remembered seeing it somewhere as him being a Wanted person. He was infact a "serial" criminal (I can't remember if it was rape, murder or something else) this possibly saved her life. So, the politicians calling for background checks in this case, might seem like it's going too far but It just may save someone's life.

I don't like the idea of government interfaring in people's private life, but when it comes to background checks it is necessary for some things. So if someone who is single and dating does not want to have their background checked, then I guess they will stay away from these types of services.

Gideon MacLeish

on Apr 11, 2005

I never said it wasn't a good idea; I DID say the government needs to stay out of it.

I have a problem with background checks in general. I have made no secret of my less than stellar past. Should I spend the rest of my life introducing myself as "Gideon MacLeish, ex-felon" for stupid mistakes of almost two decades ago? I think NOT.

I have serious reservations about our society, which is inclined to trade ALL liberty for security (as Ben Franklin wisely said, someone who does so deserves or receives neither).

JamMeister33

on Apr 11, 2005

Personally I think that any dating service, whether online or not, is just a big fat load of rubbish. Anyone who wastes their money on these "services" deserves what they get.. a depletion of their bank accounts, a waste of their time and a blow to their dignity.

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