How Indian laws address cybercrimes in dating applications

Off lately the popularity of online dating applications has soared and rightly so These platforms connect individuals from all walks of life and offer the promise of love and companionship However a shadow of concern looms over it with a significant surge in cybercrimesAs many persons are inclined towards seeking intimate connections through these online platforms fraudsters turned their attention to them The cybercriminals then abuse the other personrsquos vulnerability either till they suck them dry or the other party catches on to their farceSwiper conSahana Goswami a media professional based in Mumbai was devastated when she learnt through a stranger that the person she had been dating was a con artist She said she had a hard time believing it until she saw a picture of the news report with her newfound beaursquos photoGoswami a resident of South Mumbai said she had met the person on a popular online dating app and that the fraudster told her he was a doctor by profession She noted that he did not talk much about his past but was otherwise a good person to her and did not rouse any suspicionThe 24yearold Mumbaikar said ldquoWe went out on many dates and things were good for the next couple of weeks However he suddenly felt like he was becoming distant and it was bothersome I was finding it oddrdquoHaving delayed addressing the elephant in the room for a couple more weeks Goswami confronted the fraudster ldquoHe simply told me with his past he was finding it difficult to let me into his life He also spun a lie about not being emotionally availablerdquoGoswami said mere hours after having broken off their relationship a person reached out to her on social media ldquoThe person claimed that the person I was seeing was a fraud and that he had swindled money from them The newspaper clipping with his photo only confirmed it I was scared for my safety since he knew where I livedrdquo The Mumbaikar added that her paranoia had been exacerbated by remembering the firearm he carriedldquoThankfully he did not contact me ever again and I was able to distance myself and settle into my routine againrdquo she said recalling the horrific incident that transpired months agoSahanarsquos story draws attention to the potential risks that can accompany using online dating applications As we delve further into exploring how individuals can navigate these spaces securely free from the spectre of fraudulent activities and personal safety concerns it is imperative to examine what steps are being taken to fortify the security on these platformsSafeguarding heartsSources in Tinder responding to a query on whether their organisation collaborates with law enforcement agencies or uses thirdparty services for background checks of their users said that Match Group the parent company in 2021 had introduced the inaugural law enforcement portal of the dating industryDeveloped in consultation with law enforcement officials globally and designed to comply with privacy regulations the online portal facilitated three tiers of requests exclusively from qualified investigators a general inquiry to verify user profiles a legal request for detailed data supported by legal documents and an emergency request to address an active safety threatThe firm in their response also shared that they have a range of security tools and updated their Community Guidelines to enhance user experience sources saidSimilarly sources in another popular dating application Hinge said that they encourage their users to report fraud or abuse they encountered They said that the platform has an inapp reporting resource that allows their ldquoTrust amp Safety team to take immediate action in removing anyone accused of this behaviourrdquoThey also said that since 2022 they launched a selfie verification step to help users confirm the authenticity of their profiles allowing them to make an informed decision on who they speak withApart from that the source close to the development said Tinder has ldquolaunched several campaigns over the years specifically educating our users of all ages on ways to protect themselves so they do not fall victim to online fraudulent scamsrdquoIn 2022 the app launched an education campaign on how to spot a scammer in India and highlighted how the users could protect themselvesThey also rolled out a public awareness campaign with Match Group where users saw warnings and tips on the app on how to protect themselves against different forms of online fraudSome tips the platform offered includedmiddot Stay on the app as long as possiblemiddot Use the tools available inappmiddot Be sceptical of anyone who appears to be wealthy and successful and wants to teach you how to invest and make moneymiddot Always report interactions where they are giving you crypto or investment adviceSources said ldquoIn 2023 Tinder also launched a firstofitskind Dating Safety Guide for our users in India in partnership with Centre for Social Research CSR India to educate them on the dos and donts of dating safety by reminding users of its Community Guidelines detailing how to use its inapp safety features and outlining the recently enhanced reporting process and understanding important topics like embracing an inclusive community sexual health and consentrdquoMeanwhile spokesperson from another popular dating app Bumble said that they recently introduced Deception Detector to tackle scams spam and fake profiles They said that in their latest research they concluded that 28 per cent of the users wished to keep their data safer due to the risk of scamsFrom phishing to impersonation unfortunately scams and spam come in many forms which is why Bumble on Tuesday announced its latest steps to tackle scams spam and fake profiles with the introduction of the Deception Detector said the spokespersonThey added that the feature uses Artificial Intelligence AI to assess the authenticity of profiles Within the first two months of the technologyrsquos introduction Bumble saw reports of spam scam and fake accounts reduced by 45 per cent addressing one of the biggest concerns for people dating online the spokesperson addedThey also said that the AIbased feature supported blocking 95 per cent of the fake accounts automaticallyHaving had a look into the measures dating apps have undertaken to focus on ensuring a user has a safe experience now the question arisesmdashhow equipped are Indian laws to handle cases involving dating platformsCreating a safety netResponding to a query on whether Indiarsquos legal framework has regulations dealing with scams involving dating applications Adv Dr Prashant Mali a Cyber and Data Protection Lawyer pointed out that unlike with matrimonial sites India does not have specific regulations dealing with crimes involving dating appsldquoSections 66C and 66D of the IT Act deal with impersonation and identity theft If you know someone is an impersonator or cheating you can approach the police and file a case against them It is a cognizable offence Or a case under Sections 416 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code can be registered against the fraudstersrdquo Mali saidHe added that the dating applications in India have intermediary status and under it they must follow a set of rules including conducting a Know Your Customer KYC He said the organisations stand to lose their intermediary status and could be made a party in fraud that has happened with the complainantMali while elaborating on how a safety net should be created for users said ldquoDating applications are a taboo in India Even dating is largely perceived as a chance to foster sexual relationships with someone Creating awareness among the youth is crucialrdquoThe advocate said some onus should also be on the dating applications and proposed the government regulate that each online app should contribute a chunk of their revenue towards awareness and educational campaigns for their users on how to safely navigate throughThe cops should also make the apps not conform with KYC regulations in cases of fraud added MaliWhen asked about how dating apps can ensure the KYC they are conducting is not falsified they could opt for videobased KYC ldquoWith videobased KYC chances of defrauding become less since the person can be compared with details providedrdquo he said