How our new 'world-leading' safety code will affect dating apps

All major online dating companies have signed up to a safety code of practice, after the federal government warned tougher laws and regulations following a national roundtable last year.

The code, which will be jointly announced by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth on Friday, is expected to be fully operational by October.

Under the changes, each dating platform will be responsible for developing their own systems to improve users' safety.

Companies that operate multiple apps, such as Match Group's Hinge and Tinder, will be required to ban users who violate its safety policies across all of its services.

Apps will also be required to follow a new compliance system that will assess and publish safety ratings on their platforms.

Safety ratings will be determined by an independent oversight body, to be comprised of a group of legal and technology experts given powers to monitor how each service complies with the code.

"These services did not develop overnight, and the lack of action over the last decade means that regulation has not kept pace with technology," Ms Rowland said.

"This new industry code is an Australian-first for the online dating sector."

The federal government ordered dating apps to make major improvements to their safety measures last year after data showed alarming rates of sexual violence being facilitated on their platforms.

A study released by the Australian Institute of Criminology in 2022 showed one in three users had been subjected to sexual violence after meeting in-person, with one in four sexually assaulted or coerced.

ANU researcher Hannah Robertson said most dating app users who commit acts of violence consistently do so with a presence across multiple platforms.

She said the new code would be an important tool but will not be a "silver bullet solution" to eliminate violence occurring online.

"What we need to do is balance innovation that is occurring in this area with the need to have some impact on the harms that are occurring," Ms Robertson said.

An estimated three million Australians use dating apps, with about two in three having used Tinder, making it by far the most popular online dating platform.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the "world-leading" industry changes will help to keep people safe and allow users to make decisions about the apps they use.

"Everyone deserves to live a life free of violence no matter where they are - and this includes online," Ms Rishworth said.