A new industry code to protect dating app users has come into force – but does it misdiagnose the problem?

The federal government has ordered online dating companies to develop an industry code of practice to better protect users from sexual harassment. The code outlines a number of obligations including escalating complaints when there is an imminent threat to safety. It comes as new research has found that across five years to 2021, almost three in four people experienced online sexual harassment by someone they met on a dating app.