ReportAustralia: 99% of Women Harmed on Dating Apps Face New Safety LawAired September 23, 2026 at 7:49 AM UTCWritten September 23, 2026 at 7:53 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:11Nearly every straight woman surveyed faced harm on dating apps.0:151,008 heterosexual Australian women were surveyed over three months and 99% reported0:20at least one harmful behavior.0:22That near-universal rate would pull dating apps from a voluntary code into binding0:26safety law backed by fines up to $109.2 million Australian dollars.0:30What would platforms actually have to change and do the votes exist to force them?0:34The survey covered 1,008 heterosexual Australian women in the prior three months.0:3999% encountered at least one harmful behavior.0:42The work counts overt abuse together with normalized manipulation, finding constant0:46low-level degradation so routine that many women blame themselves.0:5095% reported psychological or emotional harm.0:5389% experienced monitoring or surveillance.0:5688% received unsolicited sexual images or videos or were pressured to send sexual1:01content.1:01Almost 6 in 10 reported fear-based controlling behavior, including threats of1:05physical harm.1:06The range runs from unsolicited graphic messages, photos and videos, and pressure to1:11send sexual content.1:12Through negging, love bombing, gaslighting, and persistent contact, to monitoring1:16and surveillance, threats of physical harm and stalking.1:19Women commonly cope by unmatching screening profiles for warning signs, withholding1:24identifying information, and coaching each other on safety rather than relying on1:28platform tools.1:29The exposure draft of the Online Safety Amendment Digital Duty of Care Bill 2026 was1:34released on 8 September 2026 to amend the Online Safety Act 2021 after a May 20261:40issues paper and the 2024 review of that act.1:43Consultation by email closed at 12 p.m.1:45on 22 September 2026.1:47No final bill has been introduced and the draft still carries a blank number.1:51Persons responsible for online services must ensure, so far as reasonably1:55practicable, a safe online environment.1:58That means protection against seriously harmful material and conduct, including2:02child sexual exploitation, sexual violence, explicit threats of physical violence2:07and harassment, with extra protections for children covering pornography.2:11Hostile attitudes toward women and gender equality, eating disorder content,2:15glorification of crime or dangerous stunts, and abuse and bullying.2:19The duty spans nine categories, including dating apps, as relevant electronic2:23services, plus social media, messaging, games, search, hosting, app stores, devices,2:29and AI providers.2:30It would replace the basic online safety expectations and existing industry codes2:34and standards.2:35Australians would gain a right to opt out of algorithmically recommended feeds and2:38see content only from accounts they follow.2:40A voluntary online dating code signed by major apps already exists.2:44The duty would make mitigation legally binding.2:46Enforcement would sit with the e-safety commissioner with expanded powers and civil2:50penalties up to 109.2 million Australian dollars after a 12-month transition.2:55The government aims to legislate before the end of 2026, pointing to introduction in3:00October, with a vow to crack down on monetized misogyny.3:04Labor needs Senate support.3:06The Greens welcomed the draft as a step toward holding platforms accountable.3:10But say more work is needed, arguing the social media age ban has not made platforms3:15safer.3:16The coalition supports holding technology companies to account and protecting3:19children, but opposes the draft as written, objecting to ministerial discretion, to3:24add new harms including potentially lawful material, warning of inadequate free3:28speech and journalism safeguards, and calling the power a blank check for political3:32censorship.3:33That ministerial rulemaking power would itself be disallowable by the Senate.3:37With added pressure over United States technology companies, only about 22% of those3:42who received threats reported them to platforms, and among those who did report3:45generally, 19% felt the complaint was barely or not at all taken seriously.3:50Design features such as anti-screenshot tools can hinder documentation, leaving3:54threatening behavior hard to prove and easy to dismiss.3:57The precise obligations for dating apps around prevention, detection, complaint4:01handling, safety by design, and transparency are not yet fixed.4:04And full detail behind the headline rate, including the experience map and the4:07goddess scale beyond the 1008 woman heterosexual sample and three-month window4:11remains only partly public.4:12Without a negotiated deal to strengthen accountability while answering free speech4:16objections, the near-universal harm documented over three months stays inside a4:21voluntary code, underreported, poorly remedied, and managed by women themselves.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗