Even dating is fast becoming reliant on technology. How many times have you tried dating people you meet online? Or if not you, then some of your friends have probably tried their hands at this. There is a lot of skepticism around online dating sites not only because you will meet virtual strangers but also because you have to provide them with personal information about yourself. If you want to have the chance of meeting someone you might like in the future, you have to be honest about these dating sites when you do sign up for them.
Authenticating Identities
But before you choose any dating site to sign up to, you have to understand how these sites protect the information they receive from you. As a general rule, the lengthier the sign-up process is, the safer the website is. For the safest dating sites, they even ask for proof of identification to authenticate your identity. This means that there are fewer fake accounts on sites like these, so you may want to check out what dating sites will authenticate your information before approving your membership.
At the very least, such a step will discourage fake accounts to increase. Although there will still be many people who will try to “hunt” for dates on these sites using fake accounts, it won’t be as easy when the site asks for identification. This is one of the main considerations for people on dating sites.
Protection from Hacking
You have to look into the network penetration test that these dating sites subject their network to. The test will involve deliberately trying to hack into the network or system to identify the vulnerabilities. This will allow them to address the issues and flaws that might make the network fall to dubious cyber practices.
Was there any news in the past about information leaking from these websites? If there is, you have to be wary about signing up to them. Although the website will address the problem, it’s still prudent of you to double-check everything.
This is one way for websites to protect the information they collected from their users. They must do this regularly because hacking gets sophisticated over time. Testing the security of the network will protect the site users and the business side of the dating app, too.
Promote Safety Guidelines
Does the site promote safety guidelines? Dating sites should have their own set of safety guidelines. These guidelines should be accessible, too. Most of the legitimate dating websites will display the guidelines prominently on their sign-up pages. Some will make a separate web page for it so that you can revisit it anytime.
The guidelines should cover the details you have to share and not share on your profile. They should also warn you against meeting people before checking their identities on social media. One example of a safety tip is to video call with the person before a meeting. The guidelines should also provide the steps you have to take on blocking and reporting suspicious users.
The safety guidelines show that the website cares about what will happen during meet-ups, usually a product of two or more people meeting on the dating sites. Prominently displaying the guidelines will allow users to pause on how they should meet strangers they meet on the internet. This is also a way for dating websites to remind their users that ultimately, as much as they protect the information and data they have, their safety lies in their hands.
Admitting Limitations
No matter how hard an app tries to verify the identity of the user, the truth is, no dating site can do that. They will process memberships based on the information that users provide. If the users somehow got hold of a name, identification card, and photos of another person, they can use that identity to create an account on these dating sites.
The best way for dating sites to protect their members is to admit to these limitations. There is no way an app or website can verify their members’ identities, nor do any of them perform background checks. At the very least, what these sites have to do is to remind their members that they have to do fact-checking of their own.
While there is no perfect dating site, that does not mean you should delete your profiles and stop trying to meet people. Since people had been virtually locked in their homes since March last year, this is the only way for many of them to meet other people. What’s important, however, is to choose the right dating app that has enough security and safety features to protect the information they collect.