Online Dating and Discovery Association

Today, we are excited to announce that we have officially relaunched as the Online Dating & Discovery Association (ODDA), and will be welcoming social discovery platforms and services to the association.  We recognise that social discovery is a growing space, and that many online dating companies are already diversifying into this area, and there are many new and exciting startups providing a range of options and ways to connect online. Social discovery services share similar opportunities and challenges to online dating services and we look forward to working as one. https://lnkd.in/e_tdj9vE #socialdiscovery #onlinedating #trustandsafety

The Online Safety Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation to be introduced in the UK in recent years. The focus is now on the implementation of the Act with recent consultations by Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office giving a helpful steer on what's likely to come next in terms of guidance and codes of practice. If you're interested in the Act, we recommend joining this webinar, hosted by our Associate Member Tremau on the 22nd October. A fantastic line up of expert guest speakers on a topic that's really important to all online platforms. Link to sign-up in the post below. #trustandsafety #onlinesafetyact #onlinedating #socialdiscovery #riskassessment

In the second of our series of interviews to mark World Romance Scam Prevention Day, our CEO, Simon Newman speaks to Karima Ben Abdelmalek, CEO and President of happn. Karima talks about the approaches happn take to protect users, which involve a comprehensive mixture of both human and technical measures. Karima also highlights the importance of regularly reviewing and updating their approach to deal with new threats and the inclusion of education and awareness in their communication with users. Throughout October, the Online Dating and Discovery Association is highlighting what its members and associates are doing to tackle scammers. Next week, we'll be taking a look at some of the technical solutions available that help prevent, detect and remove fraudsters from online platforms. You can find a web-friendly version of this interview here: https://lnkd.in/gsC2WJDt #onlinedating #romancescams #worldromancescampreventionday #trusandsafety

As part of World Romance Scam Prevention Day, our CEO, Simon Newman spoke to Dan Winchester from Free Dating about how he keeps scammers away from his site. Dan also has some great advice for our members and shares his thoughts on what the future might hold for online platforms. You can find Dan's interview on our website: https://lnkd.in/gn44zMpb #onlinedating #socialdiscovery #worldromancescampreventionday #romancescams

Our CEO Simon Newman attended the National Date Safe Working Group today at Pewterer's Hall in London. The Working Group was set up by City of London Police in 2017 and has a global membership - bringing together law enforcement, anti-scam organisations and the private sector in making online dating safer for users. Today's Working Group saw some brilliant presentations from Match Group, Barclays UK , Meta, Ofcom and Trading Standards among others. The ODDA is proud to be a member of the Date Safe Working Group - representing our members to highlight the steps they are taking to tackle scammers. #datesafe #onlinedating #romancescams #fraud

To mark World Romance Scam Prevention Day on 3rd October, our CEO, Simon Newman spoke to the Independent about the early warning signs of romance fraud. You can read what he had to say in the link below. The ODDA has also published its own guidance today as part of its commitment to promote safe, responsible and enjoyable dating and social experiences for everyone. You can find our new guidance here: https://lnkd.in/ewXXq_DP Our members have worked hard to prevent scammers from their sites using a multi-layered approach. On Monday, we'll be hearing how one of our members, Free Dating, keeps ahead of scammers and how they think the new Online Safety Act will impact fraud. #onlinedating #socialdiscovery #worldromancescampreventionday #romancescams #trustandsafety https://lnkd.in/eazgbGJW

October 3rd is World Romance Scam Prevention Day. To highlight what our members are doing to tackle the problem, the Online Dating and Discovery Association (ODDA) is using the whole month of October to focus on the issue through a series of blogs, articles and interviews with key players in our industry. We'll also be sharing some updated guidance for consumers. What is Romance Fraud? According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a romance fraud is where a criminal uses a fake online identity to gain a victim's affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. It’s a particularly wicked type of crime that plays on people’s emotions and targets both men and women. It is estimated that fewer than 10% of romance frauds are reported to the police. Despite its name however, romance fraud isn’t exclusive to online dating. It can happen on any online platform that offers user to user communication. In fact, you’re less likely to come across a scammer on an online dating site than you are on other platforms. What is the ODDAs position on Romance Fraud? The ODDA and its members have taken a very firm stance against scammers since it was launched in 2013. User protection and safety is one of our key standards that all our members agree to follow. This includes measures to identify and remove scammers as well as providing information and guidance to consumers highlighting the risks of moving conversations away from secure in-service channels. Don’t forget to lookout for our logo on online dating and social discovery sites as a commitment to our industry-leading standards. You can also search to see if an app is a member of the ODDA and find other helpful resources by clicking here: https://theodda.org/for -consumers/ #worldromancescamepreventionday #onlinedating #socialdiscovery #romancescams

To mark World Romance Scam Prevention Day tomorrow, the ODDAs Simon Newman will be taking part in a webinar hosted by Security Everywhere Ltd. Simon will be talking about how the online dating and social discovery sector is tackling the problem and sharing some hints and tips for consumers to help them keep safe online. It's important to remember that romance scams can happen on any online platform - in fact, recent figures from Action Fraud show that you're more likely to encounter romance fraud on social media sites that you are on a dating app. We're really looking forward to joining Francis West and Ben Beer from Security Everywhere Ltd., Jim Stevenson from the The Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre , Charlotte Finn from TransUnion®, James R. from IYE Global and our dear friend Nick Tsinonis from SCAMALYTICS LTD. You can sign up to the webinar by clicking the link below: #onlinedating #romancefraud #socialmedia #romancescams https://lnkd.in/ebvkRZkn

Great article in Dorset Eye about the rise in popularity of online dating sites among the elderly. With nearly 30% of the local population aged 65 or over, the article states that online dating is providing an 'essential service' to the community in Dorset. Brilliant to see such positive experiences. Re-entering the dating scene later in life can understandably be a daunting concept. That's why we've put together some helpful resources for consumers on our website. We've also created a 'Check-a-Site' service so you can see if the site you're using is a member of the Online Dating and Discovery Association. Both resources can be found by clicking here: https://lnkd.in/eqfhUA_x #onlinedating #trustandsafety #dorset Jason Cridland https://lnkd.in/egPJF6rk

Join our CEO, Simon Newman and Scott Bright of BrightCheck for this fascinating webinar on 'A Guide to a Layered Trust and Safety Approach', which takes place on 3rd October between 1-2pm Eastern Time (USA), 6-7pm BST or 7-8pm CEST. As well as focusing on the importance of implementing processes and solutions that embed trust and safety within online platforms to keep users safe online, Scott will be talking about how it can also generate revenue. Tickets are free - simply click on the post below to reserve your space! #trustandsafety #onlinedating #socialdiscovery #onlinesafety