Clark Howard's Tips

Internet dating gets a new twist on truth

June 2, 2005

Dating has changed a lot since the advent of the Internet.

Finding dates has become much more open and accessible, but there are also some safety fears as a result.

CLARK'S TIP TOPICS Consumer Tips Managing Money Banks & Credit Cards Technology Health & Healthcare Car Costs Homes Phones & Utilities Small Business Travel & Leisure Find more consumer advice in Clark Howard's book, "Get Clark Smart"

It's caused some discussion about legislating dating sites.

According to the LA Times, Michigan, California, Florida, Texas and Ohio now have laws on the books requiring dating sites to conduct background checks on people.

The dating industry is completely divided on the topic.

But one Web site has an interesting take on the whole issue. It's called truedater.com, and it allows people who've been on other sites to post about their dates and the people they've dated.

It's an opportunity to grade somebody and protect others in the dating world.

But it means you are fair game too!

More Clark Howard Travel Tips Hotels deals, baggage warning for travelers  Frequent flyer miles an increasingly bad option  Travel deals still available  Cruise crime remains a persistent problem  CouchSurfing.com may appeal to low-budget travelers  Travel substitution the key to cheap international vacations  Hotels offering gas incentives  Bolt Bus, Mega Bus offer bus travel on the cheap  Slow economy, soft travel means globe-trotting deals  Orbitz responds to complaint  Full list