New Laws Targetting Facebook, Social Networks and Dating sites.

Check out this new proposed law from New York.     If you are a company that is either directly or indirectly in the business of dating,  ie  letting strangers in New York talk to other Strangers in New York  you are now supposed to do a brackground check  or put up big warning text if someone from New York Registered and you haven’t done a background check on them.

The proposed law is so broad that any site allowing you to meet strangers falls under the definition.

” (B) “internet dating service” means a person or entity directly or indirectly in the business, for profit, of offering, promoting or providing access to dating, relationship, compatibility, matrimonial or social referral services principally on or through the internet.”

Sites like facebook actually generate more relationships and marriages than the entire dating industry combined,  at least according to the large studies we’ve conducted.   Facebook also has many dating apps on their platform that allows strangers to meet and date.   Social networks like Tagged.com link to dating sites(zoosk) directly from their main menu.   It would be extremely hard for Facebook and tagged to argue they are not “indirectly in the business of dating”.

Unfortunately this isn’t unique to New York  as several other states are trying to pass similar laws or they have already been passed.  This similar law passed in Texas already forces Facebook to provide warnings to users on signup…. If facebook doesn’t put up a warning than it is on the hook for $750 per user registered in new york.   Lets say  Faceook has 10 million people from New York that is a fine of  $7.50 BILLION dollars.

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