Apparently, there is a company (true.com) that actually does this 
already, and they are essentially trying to legislate their business 
model (not to mention free publicity, even if it fails). The scary part 
is that it may not apply only to online dating, but broader forms of 
online interaction.

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid /03/01/0024221

Chris

Kevin Lochner wrote:
> i find it pretty funny that legislators can't find anything more
> productive to do with their time.  My only real comment is that if this
> passes, it would seem to imply that personal ads in newspapers would need
> to carry the same kind of disclaimer, and maybe bars would need signs
> saying that they haven't provided background checks on any of their
> patrons :-P
> 
>  --
>    -------   kevin lochner	-------------------------------------
>     -----	http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~klochner/	--------------
> 
> 
> "I regret that a private comment I made to the vice presidential
>  candidate made it through the public airways."
> -- G.W. Bush, Allentown, Pa., Sept. 5, 2000.
> 
> 
> On Sun, 13 Mar 2005, Rob wrote:
> 
> 
>>--- Liz Entwistle   wrote:
>>
>>>Subject: Online Dating Legislation in Michigan
>>>Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 12:52:45 -0600
>>>From: "Liz Entwistle"  
>>>To: "Liz Entwistle"	
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Hi, I'm Liz, with Match.com public relations. I'm
>>>writing to you because
>>>based on your resignation data, you met someone on
>>>Match.com. I'm
>>>writing to ask your opinion of legislation, Bill
>>>0286 - regarding the
>>>regulation of online dating - which is slated for
>>>vote by the Michigan
>>>State Senate before becoming law. Bill 0286 would
>>>require the growing
>>>number of dating Web sites, including Match.com, to
>>>provide mandatory
>>>background checks on every single customer OR the
>>>site must prominently
>>>disclose that it does not do background checks. This
>>>raises the
>>>question: Is it the government's place to make a
>>>foray into a person's
>>>private dating life?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I'm interested in knowing where you stand on this
>>>issue, as someone who
>>>has used our service and found success. Are you in
>>>support of or opposed
>>>to it and why? Your feedback on this issue is very
>>>important to us and
>>>to the current Match.com members living in your
>>>state. I'd love to hear
>>>your opinions about this matter and encourage you to
>>>write to me at
>>>liz.entwistle Æ match.com
>>>  .
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Thank you,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Liz Entwistle
>>>
>>>Public Relations, Match.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
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