Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with (a) online dating platforms, (b) law enforcement agencies and (c) safeguarding organisations to develop (i) stronger and (ii) more consistent protections for dating app users.

Ofcom’s guidance, ‘A safer online for women and girls’, sets out measures that companies, including dating platforms, can take to reduce online misogynistic abuse, harassment, stalking and image based sexual abuse. We expect platforms to implement this guidance as well as complying with their safety duties.

Under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (Clare's Law), the police have the power to disclose information to a victim or potential victim of domestic abuse, about their partner or ex-partner's abusive or violent offending. The Government is exploring how this could be extended to other forms of VAWG, including its use within online dating platforms.