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The increasing popularity of online dating platforms has been matched by a surge in users experiencing dating app‑facilitated sexual violence (DAFSV).
DAFSV includes behaviours such as sending, demanding or threatening to share a sexually explicit image or video without consent, pressuring respondents to meet in person, and posting offensive comments.
The new Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) report has found dating app users were more vulnerable to DAFSV if they:
Following the Albanese Government’s National Roundtable on Online Dating Safety convened last year, Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland requested online dating services operating in Australia develop a voluntary code of practice to better protect people who use their services.
The new code, which commenced on October 2024, requires online dating services operating in Australia to better protect people who use their services.
Read also: Improving communication and safety in online dating
The Government has made clear to the dating industry that if the code does not sufficiently improve safety for users of online dating services we will consider whether further action is needed, including regulation.
The Australian Government expects online dating platforms to keep their users safe through accessible and responsive reporting mechanisms, support for victim-survivors, processes and policies that hold perpetrators accountable, and by incorporating safety by design processes.
The Government is continuing to work with these platforms directly, and supporting community-based initiatives to protect all users of dating sites from sexual predators.
This paper builds on the AIC’s collection of research into DAFSV and child sexual exploitation, including Sexual harassment, aggression and violence victimisation among mobile dating app and website users in Australia’, which found that nearly three quarters of people using the apps reported they have been subject to sexual violence, abuse, harassment or threats.
Adrianne Saplagio is a Content Producer at Comms Room, where she combines her passion for storytelling with her expertise in multimedia content creation. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for engaging audiences, Adrianne has been instrumental in crafting compelling narratives that resonate across various digital platforms.
