Researchers call for stricter regulation of dating apps, as a new report co-led by UNSW Sydney reveals men who sexually offend against children are using online matchmaking services at high rates.
Child sexual predators are lurking on dating sites, and identity checks and tools to detect their behaviours need to be urgently implemented. That is the finding from a new report into child sexual exploitation that calls for compulsory protection measures and greater accountability of dating app platforms to stop legitimate users from matching with offenders.
The research, led by the Childlight East Asia and Pacific Hub based out of UNSW Sydney and in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, reports that almost two-thirds (66%) of male offenders against children used dating platforms, and 22% used them daily. By comparison, less than one-third of men (30%) who had no sexual feelings or offences against children had ever used a dating app, with only 8.1% using them daily.
The findings, based on self-reported surveys of nearly 5000 men in Australia, the UK and the US, highlight the need to increase protections within dating apps. 11.5% of respondents admitted to having sexual feelings only towards children, while 11% said they had committed sexual offences against minors. The study defined a child as anyone under 18 when measuring online offending.
Professor Michael Salter, co-author of the report and Director of the Childlight East Asia and Pacific Hub at UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture said: “This study highlights that child sex offenders and men with a sexual interest in children are disproportionately active on dating sites, signalling the urgent need to improve safeguard measures, education and platform accountability.”
Verification checks are needed to protect children
Prof. Salter said while the Australian government was focused on protecting children from the harms of social media, not enough attention has been given to dating apps and the potential risk they pose to minors.
According to Prof. Salter, there is evidence that child sex abusers may seek out single parents in order to get to their children. A survey of dating app users by the Australian Institute of Criminology in 2024 found more than 12% of respondents received requests to facilitate child sexual exploitation and abuse, with their own children being overwhelmingly targeted by abusers.
Prof. Salter said the findings reinforce the need for adequate child protection measures.
“The concern is that child sex offenders could exploit the lack of oversight to target single parents using these platforms to target single parents and gain access to their children,” Prof. Salter said.
“We have a Voluntary Online Dating Code, but it does not constitute regulation and there is no guarantee it will be implemented by platforms in practice. What we need to do is look at better ways to prevent offenders from easily accessing these platforms.”
Prof. Salter said the following safeguards should be implemented for dating apps:
- Introduction of user verification processes like mandatory ID checks.
- Tools to detect predatory behaviours, like grooming language or suspicious messaging patterns.
- Education campaigns to raise single parents’ awareness of the risks of child abusers who use dating apps and how to take steps and spot red flags to safeguard their families.
- Oversight to improve accountability and protect vulnerable users.
- Mandatory reporting of breaches of community safety guidelines to authorities.
- Further accountability mechanisms, including civil or even criminal liability of platforms, should be explored.
“There’s no reason why the robust user identification methods we have in other industries, such as banking and gambling, should not also have to be adopted by dating app platforms,” Prof. Salter said. “Similarly, there are a range of AI tools and systems that can flag problematic words and conversations that can and should be used.”
This study has several limitations. Participants were recruited through an online survey panel company, which may affect the generalisability of the findings. Because the study relies on self-reported data, there is also potential for social desirability bias – where responders give what they perceive to be socially approved answers – due to the sensitive nature of the questions.
The report published today coincides with the launch of the Childlight East Asia & Pacific Hub, established by Human Dignity Foundation and hosted by UNSW in partnership with the University of Edinburgh. The Childlight organisation, founded in the UK and now branching into the Asia Pacific, works alongside international organisations like the World Health Organization and United Nations, NGOs, law enforcement, the tech industry and young people worldwide to expose the scale of abuse globally.
Debi Fry, Childlight’s Global Director of Data and Professor of International Child Protection Research at the University of Edinburgh, said child sexual exploitation and abuse was a global public health emergency that requires emergency measures. She said new risks are emerging, and protections have not kept pace.
“Child sexual exploitation and abuse is preventable, not inevitable,” Prof. Fry said. “Just as we mobilise globally to prevent other pandemics, we must now mobilise globally to prevent abuse against children.
“It means focusing not just on reactive law enforcement measures but on proactive prevention strategies that tackle the underlying determinants of abuse, including the financial and technological ecosystems that sustain it.”
UNSW Vice-President Societal Impact, Equity and Engagement Professor Verity Firth AM said the establishment of the Childlight Hub at UNSW would help broaden the reach of the global organisation, which shines a light on the shocking exploitation and abuse of children around the world.
“The Childlight East-Asia and Pacific Hub at UNSW, led by Professor Michael Salter, will help accelerate global efforts to stop child sexual exploitation and abuse and its devastating lifelong effects.
“This partnership will bring together an international network of experts and resources to produce the impactful research needed to help policymakers and law enforcement protect children worldwide.”
Key Facts:
- New report finds most dating sites have inadequate identity checks for users.
- User verification processes, such as mandatory ID checks and tools to detect predatory behaviours, should be mandatory for dating apps.
- Call for education campaigns to raise awareness of the potential risks dating apps pose to children.
Contact details:
Ben Knight
UNSW External Communications
[email protected]
(02) 9065 4916 / 0422 651 085
Jason Allardyce
Head of Communications, Childlight
[email protected]