Online dating advice: five ways to stay safe, according to the experts

Spotting red flags while online dating is far from easy – especially in the age of AI. We asked the experts for their top tips

Most dating apps have been forced to bolster their safety measures in recent years due to a litany of complaints of online abuse as well as negligence when handling reports of sexual violence. Several of them are now taking steps to combat this and encourage users to verify their identities to ensure everyone is who they say they are. Typically, this is done with facial recognition technology by asking users to take a video selfie or provide a photo ID that the app uses to compare with the photos used in their profile. Many have also introduced features to help users stay safe, including block and report systems alongside bans on sexual harassment, fetishisation and hate speech.

Still, there are precautions to be taken whenever you agree to meet someone you’ve spoken to online, like meeting in public places and withholding any private information. Here are more top tips for staying safe.

Brook

Crimestoppers

Solace Women’s Aid

Rainn (American but worth a look wherever you are)

eSafety (Australian but worth a look wherever you are)