By: Jessica Bonsu
Some people might have thought that a global pandemic would hinder single people from connecting with prospects through their family, friends, or communities. But these days, people are connecting virtually to start anyway. So, when the lockdown began to look long-term rather than short-term, many single individuals took the leap into online dating. Some singles were looking for someone to enrich their lives for a day, a month, or even forever. Online dating apps began to see a surge in usage in March 2020 and took advantage of the many options virtual dating could bring.
A few popular dating sites reported record-setting numbers in terms of user activity. Match, a popular dating site, reported there was a 40% increase in people sending messages on their platform, and in fact, July 2020 was busier than the previous Valentine’s Day, their typical “peak season”. Messaging on Hinge increased 30%. Tinder saw its biggest day ever on March 29, 2020, with over 3 billion swipes, and on OkCupid, virtual dates shot up 700%, according to Business Insider. Bumble reports one in three users on their app is placing a bigger emphasis on finding a partner heading into the holiday season and says in the spring of 2020, it experienced a 70% rise in video calls. Selective Search, a luxury dating service for commitment-minded singles based in Chicago even reported that there were 15 marriages this past year.
Public health experts are not discouraging people from dating as long as they do so safely. During this time, most people are looking for partners who take precautions against COVID-19 seriously. The popular apps are capitalizing on features such as in-app video chats, real-time virtual events, and gamification features that allow users to enjoy virtual dates without the need for in-person meetings. People are finding the virtual features more accommodating, and very efficient of their time. Couples who met during the lockdowns said that they have had more time to talk to each other with fewer distractions. This allowed their relationships to become more serious within a shorter period of time.
Although the pandemic did not hinder online dating in a great capacity, it did, however, raise a lot of online catfishing and privacy issues. Catfishing is known as the process of luring someone into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona. Catfishing was already a problem, but this problem became exponentially worse this past year. Since individuals are practicing social distancing and staying indoors a majority of the time, it has become easier for online users to create fictional personas behind their screens.
Several states such as California, Florida, Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania reported that there were over a thousand catfishing victims in 2020. Victims have been lured into giving their personal information such as bank information to online users who are using fake identities. When some of the victims asked how they fell for the traps, some reported that they were lonely and too trusting during the lockdown periods.
While COVID-19 has made most of us more vulnerable to being catfished, it has simultaneously made life easier for the catfisher. Along with having an increased amount of potential victims online, he or she doesn’t have to worry about many of the usual roadblocks, such as in-person meetings. Since most people are connecting fully online, someone can lie about every aspect of who they are, and most people have no way of finding out the truth. In addition to catfishing, some users are also listing personal information such as their workplace or school that could help people locate them and learn about their activities.
Thus, making it much easier for catfishers and regular users to access private information. With the increase in online dating and catfishing users, people are giving out information for online daters to use to protect themselves. Dating experts suggest users take note of potential red flags, such as someone asking for money and those who avoid chatting with you over a video call. The best way to avoid some online dating mishaps is to keep your information private as much as you can and continue to use the new features provided to aid in virtual dating.
Currently, no laws exist that regulate personal sites or layout the groundwork for safety using online dating sites on a federal level. However, over the past few years, some states have begun to enact their own laws which vary widely. For example, New Jersey has enacted the Internet Dating Safety Act. The purpose of the act is to enhance the safety of individuals who use Internet services to facilitate dating. California has not enacted any laws yet, but there have been ongoing discussions regarding the state’s position for online dating safety. If more states participate in enacting an internet dating safety act, individuals will be protected and perhaps avoid falling into negative online dating traps.
Student Bio: Jessica Bonsu is a second-year law student at Suffolk University Law School. She is a staffer on the Journal of High Technology Law. Jessica received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Stockton University.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are the views of the author alone and do not represent the views of JHTL or Suffolk University Law School.
