HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF ONLINE DATING

• Online Dating Tip - How to navigate the safety aspects of online dating like a pro
  

Dating can be fun and exciting. Hey, it could even lead to the love of your life and a blissful happy ever after. Or simply a date for your cousin’s wedding. Who knows?

It could also lead to hilarious stories that you’d be able to share with your friends. But let’s be totally honest here and because we’re all about being realistic, dating can also be scary.

That’s because we live in a world where danger is around many corners, so you need to be smart and clued up. Rather safe than sorry and all of that.

Luckily, we’re about to give you the 101 on online dating safety tips so that your dating experience is filled with more of the good… And less of the bad and the ugly.

Yes, while it might sound like we’re preaching just a tad over here, you can never remind yourself enough that safety is the way to go and if you don’t feel safe in a situation, get out of there or ask someone for help. 

Don’t forget to share these online dating safety tips with others because it could just mean a world of difference to them. After all, sharing is caring.

Privacy

With the Protection of Personal Information Act No. 4 of 2013 (POPIA) being thrown around like it’s nobody’s business, it’s time to make sure you know what’s expected of you and your dating site when it comes to privacy. 

If the site is POPIA compliant, as is required by South African law, you should be safe because the regulations related to the Act were written with your personal privacy in mind.

This means no dating site will be allowed to share your personal information with third parties without your consent. Back in 2018 Grindr admitted to sharing its client’s HIV status. Yes, it happened, and it caused chaos. Scary to think it even happened, but they’re not the only online dating website to have shared the personal information of their users.  

Read the website’s fine print and double-check if the online dating site is POPIA compliant. If not, delete your account immediately and report the site to authorities. The site’s privacy policy should be easy to understand and easy to find. Make sure you read it and understand it.

Suspicious behaviour

You know when you get that funny feeling about something or someone and it just won’t go away? That’s when you must act on it because your suspiciouns are probably true. Don’t try to convince yourself that someone else’s behaviour is acceptable if you’re not comfortable with it.

Every online dating site will have terms and if those terms are violated, it can mean big trouble for both the site and the person who violated the terms.  

Things to look out for include underage profiles. Not only can it mean big problems (think prison!) if you get involved with an underage person, but it could also be part of something bigger than you. So, do the right thing and report any suspicious behaviour to your dating site as soon as humanly possible. If you feel this is a matter for the police, don’t be shy.

Even if the other person’s story is convincing and you really do believe it with your whole heart, tell someone else before you act. If someone requests money or a donation, just say no and move on. And if they keep harassing you for it, report them and block them. Immediately.  

Dating sites are made for things like… Well, dates. If someone starts selling any type of product or service, let your dating site know immediately. It’s spam or solicitation, don’t get caught up in it. 

Meeting a date in person

So, you’re ready to take this to the next level and have agreed to go on an actual date. Well done! We hope you have a lot of fun, but just because your safety is important to us, we want to give you more safety tips to keep in mind when you do decide to meet a date in person. 

When meeting, make sure the location is in public and that if you decide to move to another location, it’s still in public. Don’t be in a rush to go somewhere private if you’re unsure about the other person, even if they seem really nice and trustworthy.  

Make sure you’re not reliant on your date for transportation so that you can leave whenever you feel like it. If you made use of your own transport and you had to park somewhere, make sure it’s in a public place where there are other people around you.

If you’re going to use public transport, make sure you leave at a time when you know a lot of people will still be taking the transport.

If you feel unsafe, ask someone else for help. Waiters and bartenders have seen their fair share of uncomfortable first dates, but if you feel unsafe you can even approach one of them for assistance.

Don’t share too much

We get it, you want to give yourself a good chance with this online dating thing, but online dating safety tips are there for a reason. 

One of them is to not share too much personal information on your profile, even if it’s not open to the public. 

Don’t give away your address or neighborhood, or anything specific about your home. You love your dog and want to share their adorable pics with the world, but don’t share things like their name or what your daily waking route looks like.

Why are we telling you not to share too much when you’re on a dating site where you want to see what other people share? Because in today’s day and age the element of hackers and what they’re capable of will always be a threat. 

Your hometown, pet’s name, birthday, phone number or street address could all be used to bypass your password and hack into your account where other things like billing information can be obtained.

Tell someone

While you would probably want to keep things on the lowdown at first, it’s always a good idea to tell someone when you’re chatting to a potential date and especially when you’re going on a date.

It’s not to ensure they can spy on you during your date, but simply because someone will know where you are and with who in case of an emergency.

Because it’s often difficult to see, think, act or just be normal when you’re falling in love and having the time of your life, you might not see the warning signs. That’s another reason to tell someone about your experience so that they can be objective and give you an honest opinion.

So, are you ready to dive in and see if true love (or even just a good time for now) could be on the horizon? Go for it and without sounding like your mom, don’t forget these online dating safety tips. 

We want you to make the most of your online dating experience so keep these tips in mind when you’re doing the dating thing and don’t forget to have fun.