Expertise has remodeled so many areas of our lives and comparatively shortly within the grand scheme of issues. From tech used to make training extra accessible, for instance, to the ever talked about synthetic intelligence (AI) shaping many sectors, the best way tech has built-in with the trendy world each seamlessly and speedily is notable.
One space the place expertise has reshaped expertise is on-line relationship. Courting isn’t the identical now because it was even 10 or 15 years in the past. Actually, in some ways, it’s an entire new ballgame altogether. The largest shift? The pandemic, in line with panellists at a dialogue held at Tech Present London final week on the twelfth March 2025 at ExCeL London. The pandemic despatched many hopeful daters on-line to search out love, however with that got here an uptick in opportunistic cybercriminals ready to use them in a sport the place vulnerability is commonly inspired. So, how can we make relationship scams much less engaging?
That is precisely the query debated by Simon Newman, CEO of the On-line Courting and Discovery Affiliation (ODDA), and Becky Holmes, creator of (the exceptionally named) Keanu Reeves Is Not In Love With You, in a panel dialogue (moderated by broadcaster and researcher Stephanie Hare) entitled Swipe Left on Romance Scams: Combating Romance Fraud By way of Moral App Design and Communication at Tech Present London.
The panellists famous that there’s a high quality steadiness between person expertise and security, each paramount to the experiences of on-line daters. Belief and security in any respect phases are key, but in addition maintaining relationship enjoyable is necessary. None of these items can or needs to be compromised. This offers relationship apps and websites with a tough state of affairs. What we want is extra friction, in line with Simon and Becky.
In Defence of Friction
On the entire, app designers wish to scale back friction. Nevertheless, friction may be good for security. What is supposed by ‘friction’ right here is additional checks to maintain folks protected and confirm identification. This would possibly embody ID verification, picture verification checks and AI and deepfake prevention measures. There are many areas the place we’re already actually good at stopping fraud, like on-line banking, for instance, famous the panel. This friction is necessary for customers.
While ‘friction’ (i.e. verifications) might appear to be a roadblock now, with the speed that tech evolves at, this course of will, little question, turn into faster and extra seamless. Nevertheless, it must be the proper of friction; quite than lengthy, lecturing T&Cs or security guides. The makers of those apps have a accountability of engagement with security measures, too. They need to be participating and client pleasant, as a minimum.
Accountability
Fraudsters wish to get you off the apps as shortly as doable, in the end aiming for encrypted messaging companies. Which brings us to a false impression about relationship scams: most relationship associated scams occur off the apps. Actually, you’re extra prone to be focused on social media.
It’s necessary that we ask questions on security to the groups behind any of the apps that we’re utilizing to attach with others, whether or not that’s a relationship app or social media.
The On-line Security Act has ushered in some good modifications to carry organisations accountable for person security. The Online Safety Act emphasises age verification, significantly for companies or websites that is likely to be accessed by kids. It additionally implies that on-line relationship and social media websites have a ‘obligation of care’ to guard customers from dangerous or unlawful content material.
Deepfakes?
In keeping with the panellists, one space the place we’re seeing vital uptick in rip-off sophistication is deepfakes and deepfake content material. The expertise isn’t essentially capable of sustain with the speed of innovation for the time being, posing a worrying state of affairs for relationship app groups. “A 12 months or two in the past it was comparatively straightforward to identify a deepfake, however now it’s actually exhausting. We’ve got to depend on tech to identify this as human capabilities are diminishing,” mentioned Newman. The reply? Schooling. On this case, fraudsters are one step forward. Deepfakes be part of traditional phishing and spear phishing as vital cyber dangers for on-line daters.
So, what ought to folks do to guard themselves? And the way can organisations shield customers?
The panellists debated a variety of potential options, however famous that it’s actually difficult to place tech in place between lovers (or individuals who imagine they’re in a relationship). Cybercriminals and fraudsters emotionally manipulate victims into believing that they’re genuinely in relationships. The panel famous that with the ability to report unhealthy experiences on to websites is necessary.
One viewers member urged an AirBnB type rankings system of potential dates, to which the panel famous that there are some websites within the US that require others to ‘vouch’ for customers. With that being mentioned, the panel famous that US Congress has pledged a Romance Scam Prevention Act to “require on-line relationship service suppliers to supply fraud ban notifications to on-line relationship service members, and for different functions”. This might require websites to inform customers in the event that they’re interacting with anybody flagged as a fraudster.
The panel additionally famous that educating customers to be savvy towards scams is necessary, stressing that there’s no ‘typical’ picture of a fraudster.
Lastly, Simon Newman famous that customers ought to preserve a watch out for the trusted Online Dating and Discovery Association kitemark when searching for love on-line. The web site additionally has a ‘Examine A Service’ instrument to see if a website is a ODDA member, as members have to stay to strict tips on person security. The web site additionally options recommendation on keep away from scams on-line, too.
The submit Tech Show London: Making Dating Scams Less Attractive appeared first on IT Security Guru.
