Match.com settles background check lawsuit

last year by a man she met on the site following their second date. Her date, 67-year-old Alan Paul Wurtzel of Pacific Palisades, had at least six prior sexual assualt convictions. After the alleged assault, Markin says she went online and learned of the convictions. In her lawsuit, filed in April, Markin demanded that the site screen members against state and federal registries. Match.com President Mandy Ginsberg announced shortly after the lawsuit filing that the site would begin conducting criminal background checks on their users. According to the Los Angeles Times, Match.com attorney Robert Platt said that the company has no legal obligation to screen members but believes that increased accessibility to these databases due to recent advances in technology “enables a significant degree of accuracy to implement this measure.” Wurtzel pleaded no contest August 17 to felony sexual battery by restraint and faces one year in jail and five years’ probation when he is sentenced September 19. You might recall a previous post regarding Match.com and background checks, where they promised to make changes to their subscription process – allowing for a safer environment. It seems that this is finally coming into practice. Both current and future subscribers would face screening against the national sex offender registry, which could take months to implement. Markin said she decided to come forward to make sure “something like this” doesn’t happen to anyone else. It’s another step forward in making online dating a safer place for people to go, and – with the dating giant Match.com implementing such safety nets – the hope is that many of the smaller dating sites will follow suit.]]>