Scott Hilse Source 4

A) Should there be background checks on all online dating websites?

B) Dunning, Matt. "Background Checks May Invite Liability." MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO, 12 Sept.                      2011. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

The article takes on the issue of if online dating websites should take on the responsibility of performing background checks on their members. This started when a woman was raped after matching with a man on Match.com. Match.com responded by announcing it will now implement background checks. Many lawyers chime in on this and they all say that it is a bad idea. By performing background checks, online dating companies would take on the responsibility if a sexual crime offender slips through the cracks and performs a crime on a match. Match.com has stated that while they do background checks, they are not liable. Even with the disclaimer, the attorneys still think a lawsuit will be possible if a violent offense happens through their site.

This source brings about a whole other subject on my research paper. Instead of thinking about the risk of sexual diseases, i am now thinking about the risk of the potential sexual violence that could occur. I agree with the source in most part, however they provide almost no info on the good that background checks could do for the company. This source answers only one side of the question, it leaves an opening for the good of background checks on dating sites.

HIV infection is growing rapidly. Many people, whoever, choose to not let their partner's know of their status and online dating is the perfect storm for that. According to a recent study, "Among a sample of HIV-infected patients seeking medical care in a San Francisco county hospital and university based clinic, 29 % reported using the Internet to find sex partners (Clark, Marquez, Hare, John, & Klausner, 2012)." This is a problem that dating websites can't ignore. Once they begin background checks on their members,  "...the door is opened, it's going to be very difficult for them down the line to argue that they don't have a duty to screen for other issues"(Shear).

It has led me to ask about the good things of background checks of online dating. The right questions to ask now would be "What are the benefits of background checks on dating websites" and after i get the answer to that, i will need the answer to "Is it worth it to do background checks on dating websites?" I have no answers to these questions based on the information i have so my next source will focus on the benefits of background tests on online.