Closed petition Require dating apps and social networking sites to verify ID

Closed on 29 February 2024

We want the Government to introduce legislation imposing safeguarding measures in relation to dating apps and social networking sites, requiring all users to provide some form of ID when joining. Some apps already do this by choice, and all personal data would be subject to data protection laws.

There are a growing number of people who fall foul to catfishing and fraud when meeting people through dating apps and other social networking websites. The perpetrators of these acts often use multiple false profiles in order to lure in victims, in order to defraud them out of money and/or meet partners who they can subject to domestic violence and coercive control. Requiring users to have their identification verified should help prevent this, and ensure those engaging in illegal activity can be identified.