Why a Digital Duty of Care Could Change Dating‑App Safety

Australian researchers found that 99 % of heterosexual women surveyed had encountered at least one harmful behaviour on a dating app in the three months before the survey. Many women said they had to screen profiles, hide personal details and manage conversations carefully to stay safe.

The Minderoo Foundation‑funded Behaviour Insights Team (BIT) study of 1,008 women reported that 95 % experienced psychological or emotional harm, 89 % faced monitoring or surveillance, and 88 % received unsolicited sexual images or videos. Yet only about 22 % of those who experienced fear‑based controlling behaviour reported the threats to the platforms.

In response, the federal government is consulting on a proposed digital duty of care. The draft would require online services, including dating apps, to identify and mitigate systemic risks rather than relying on users to report each incident after it happens.

Researchers such as lead investigator Karen Tindall argue that the scale of abuse shows platforms, not individual users, should bear responsibility for preventing it. They say safety features must be designed so users can document abuse without losing the ability to report it.

If the duty of care becomes law, dating‑app users could rely on the platforms themselves to curb harassment, stalking and unwanted content, shifting protection from the individual to the service provider.

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