WASHINGTON – Today the House unanimously passed H.R. 6125, the Online Dating Safety Act. Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-22) and Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) introduced the bipartisan bill last year, which would require dating apps and services to issue fraud ban notifications to users who have interacted with a person removed from the app. The Federal Trade Commission reported that romance scams resulted in victims losing $1.3 billion in 2022 alone.

“With more and more people using online dating services, there are a number of bad actors who use these platforms to commit fraud,” said Congressman Valadao.  “These apps have been around for over 10 years, but still there are little safeguards in place to protect users. The Online Dating Safety Act is an important step to enhance online safety, combat fraud, and help people make more informed decisions. I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to get this bill across the finish line.”

“Online dating services are being used as a platform for bad actors to target and exploit individuals, yet protections continue to lag behind,” said Congresswoman Pettersen. “Notifying users if they have been in contact with a potential scammer is a basic security feature that every online dating service should provide. This bipartisan bill will help reduce online crime and keep people safe from online scammers. I’m grateful this legislation has passed the House with bipartisan support, and I will keep working to see it signed into law.”

“As Americans increasingly use online dating services, con artists are attempting to prey on people searching for companionship, particularly seniors. I commend Rep. Valadao for his leadership on this bill to give adults of every age the information they need to protect themselves from romance scams online,” said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

Congressman Valadao spoke on the House Floor during debate on the legislation. Watch his remarks here.

Remarks as prepared:

M. Speaker.,

I rise to urge support for my bill, the Online Dating Safety Act.

Each year, millions of people are deceived, defrauded, or misled by users of online dating apps.

While it’s sadly common to see people lie about things like their age or occupation, this bill takes aim at the more sinister fraudsters who make their livelihoods preying on vulnerable individuals.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, romance scams resulted in victims losing $1.3 billion in 2022 alone, with senior citizens being the most at-risk age group.

There are countless horror stories of people being conned out of their entire life savings, all because they trusted someone they met online.

Individuals who meet online often take their conversations to other communication platforms, so even when a fraudulent account is removed, someone might not know they are talking to someone who has been removed from the platform.

This bill requires the dating platform to issue fraud ban notifications to users who have ever interacted with a person who has been removed from the app for fraudulent activity.

While we can’t stop all criminals, this is a simple and important step to fill a communication gap and help people make more informed decisions about who they’re really talking to.

These apps have been around for over 10 years, but still there are little safeguards in place to protect users.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill to help prevent this widespread fraud.

Thank you and I yield back.

Background:

Over 55 million Americans reported using an online dating service in 2022. As Americans continue to go online to find meaningful relationships, scammers are following suit. The Federal Trade Commission reported that romance scams resulted in victims losing $1.3 billion in 2022 alone. When an online dating service provider becomes aware of a user committing fraudulent activity, such as illegally obtaining money, the online dating service provider immediately deactivates the fraudulent user's account. However, individuals who meet online often take their conversations to other communication platforms, so even when a fraudulent account is removed, an individual might not know they are still communicating with someone who has been removed from the dating platform. The Online Dating Safety Act seeks to fill this communication gap by requiring these platforms to send a fraud ban notification to anyone who has communicated with someone with a fraudulent account.  

Read the full text of the bill here.

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