Yesterday the Illinois Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that would require online dating sites to disclose whether they performed criminal background checks on their members. The bill will now go before the Illinois House, where a similar bill already got committee approval.
The legislation would force dating sites to state whether they allow individuals with criminal backgrounds to become members, as well as whether the dating site actually performed a criminal background check on the members. If the site does do criminal background checks, then the legislation would require the sites to do so by using official government databases, such as Illinois criminal court records and sex offender registries.
This is yet another example of how today’s information age makes it difficult for people to put their past behind them. If online dating sites begin doing criminal background checks on all of their members, you can bet that criminal records will be one of the first search filters used by prospective mates. Even if the site doesn’t disclose what the actual criminal charges were, they would still be in the position of filtering out matches for members based on the information that they possess. Those with criminal records already face difficulties with potential employers and landlords, but now they will encounter those same difficulties in their love lives as well?
Before joining one of these dating sites, you should consider clearing your criminal record first. If you expunge or seal your criminal record, then the dating sites would not be able to see your case(s) when they do a background check. If you are not eligible to expunge or seal, then you can always seek a Governor’s pardon which, if granted, will then allow you to expunge the criminal record. Don’t let Mr. or Mrs. Right slip away because of a mistake made in the past!
The legislation would force dating sites to state whether they allow individuals with criminal backgrounds to become members, as well as whether the dating site actually performed a criminal background check on the members. If the site does do criminal background checks, then the legislation would require the sites to do so by using official government databases, such as Illinois criminal court records and sex offender registries.
This is yet another example of how today’s information age makes it difficult for people to put their past behind them. If online dating sites begin doing criminal background checks on all of their members, you can bet that criminal records will be one of the first search filters used by prospective mates. Even if the site doesn’t disclose what the actual criminal charges were, they would still be in the position of filtering out matches for members based on the information that they possess. Those with criminal records already face difficulties with potential employers and landlords, but now they will encounter those same difficulties in their love lives as well?
Before joining one of these dating sites, you should consider clearing your criminal record first. If you expunge or seal your criminal record, then the dating sites would not be able to see your case(s) when they do a background check. If you are not eligible to expunge or seal, then you can always seek a Governor’s pardon which, if granted, will then allow you to expunge the criminal record. Don’t let Mr. or Mrs. Right slip away because of a mistake made in the past!
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