Australian study finds nearly all women faced harm on dating apps

Widespread experiences of abuse

Researchers reported that 99 per cent of heterosexual women surveyed had faced at least one harmful behaviour in the previous three months. Common issues included unsolicited explicit messages, attempts to monitor activity, and gaslighting. The study highlighted that these experiences are widespread across the platform ecosystem.

Users take personal precautions

Participants described routinely screening profiles for warning signs before engaging with potential matches. Many women withheld identifying information and carefully managed their interactions to protect themselves from potential harm. These actions indicate that users are currently forced to act as their own safety system.

Calls for regulatory action

Advocates argue the findings support extending a digital duty of care to online platforms. The federal government is currently considering this proposal while consultation closes on Tuesday. Researchers state that platforms must do more to prevent systemic risks rather than leaving safety to individual users.