I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6125 

To require online dating service providers to provide fraud ban notifications 

to online dating service members, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 30, 2023 

Mr. VALADAO (for himself and Ms. PETTERSEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To require online dating service providers to provide fraud 

ban notifications to online dating service members, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Online Dating Safety 

5 Act of 2023’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ONLINE DATING SAFETY. 

7 (a) FRAUD BAN NOTIFICATION.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—An online dating service pro9 vider shall provide to a member of the online dating 

10 service a fraud ban notification if the member has 


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1 received a message through the online dating service 

2 from a banned member of the online dating service. 

3 (2) REQUIRED CONTENTS.—A fraud ban notifi4 cation under paragraph (1) shall include the fol5 lowing: 

6 (A) The username or other profile identi7 fier of the banned member, as well as the most 

8 recent time when the member to whom the noti9 fication is being provided sent or received a 

10 message through the online dating service to or 

11 from the banned member. 

12 (B) A statement that the banned member 

13 may have been using a false identity or at14 tempting to defraud members. 

15 (C) A statement that a member should not 

16 send money or personal financial information to 

17 another member. 

18 (D) An online link to information regard19 ing ways to avoid online fraud or being de20 frauded by a member of an online dating serv21 ice. 

22 (E) Contact information to reach the cus23 tomer service department of the online dating 

24 service provider. 

25 (3) MANNER AND TIMING.— 


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1 (A) MANNER.—A fraud ban notification 

2 under paragraph (1) shall be— 

3 (i) clear and conspicuous; and 

4 (ii) provided by email, text message, 

5 or other appropriate means of communica6 tion consented to by the member. 

7 (B) TIMING.— 

8 (i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 

9 in clauses (ii) and (iii), an online dating 

10 service provider shall provide a fraud ban 

11 notification under paragraph (1) not later 

12 than 24 hours after the fraud ban is initi13 ated against the banned member. 

14 (ii) DELAY BASED ON JUDGMENT OF

15 PROVIDER.—If, in the judgment of the on16 line dating service provider, the cir17 cumstances require a fraud ban notifica18 tion under paragraph (1) to be provided 

19 after the 24-hour period described in 

20 clause (i), the online dating service pro21 vider shall, except as provided in clause 

22 (iii), provide the notification not later than 

23 3 days after the day on which the fraud 

24 ban is initiated against the banned mem25 ber. 


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1 (iii) DELAY UPON REQUEST OF LAW

2 ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.—If, due to an 

3 ongoing investigation, a law enforcement 

4 official requests an online dating service 

5 provider to delay providing a fraud ban no6 tification under paragraph (1) beyond the 

7 time when the notification is required to be 

8 provided under clause (i) or (ii), the online 

9 dating service provider— 

10 (I) may not provide the notifica11 tion before the end of the period of 

12 delay (including any extension of such 

13 period) requested by the law enforce14 ment official; and 

15 (II) shall provide the notification 

16 not later than 3 days after the last 

17 day of the period of delay (including 

18 any extension of such period) re19 quested by the law enforcement offi20 cial. 

21 (4) LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.—An online dat22 ing service provider is not liable to a person in a 

23 civil action based on any of the following: 


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1 (A) The means of communication used to 

2 provide a fraud ban notification to a member 

3 under paragraph (1). 

4 (B) The timing of a fraud ban notification 

5 provided to a member under paragraph (1). 

6 (C) The disclosure of information in a 

7 fraud ban notification provided under para8 graph (1), including the following: 

9 (i) Information that a member is a 

10 banned member or the subject of a fraud 

11 ban. 

12 (ii) The username or other profile 

13 identifier of the banned member. 

14 (iii) The reason that the online dating 

15 service provider initiated the fraud ban of 

16 the banned member. 

17 (5) NO PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION; PRESERVA18 TION OF CERTAIN IMMUNITY.—This subsection does 

19 not create a private right of action or diminish or 

20 adversely affect protections for an online dating 

21 service provider under section 230 of the Commu22 nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230). 

23 (b) ENFORCEMENT BY FEDERAL TRADE COMMIS24 SION.— 


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1 (1) UNFAIR OR DECEPTIVE ACTS OR PRAC2 TICES.—A violation of this section shall be treated 

3 as a violation of a regulation under section 

4 18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Trade Commission Act 

5 (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)) regarding unfair or decep6 tive acts or practices. 

7 (2) POWERS OF COMMISSION.—The Commis8 sion shall enforce this section in the same manner, 

9 by the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, 

10 powers, and duties as though all applicable terms 

11 and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act 

12 (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated into and 

13 made a part of this section, and any person who vio14 lates this section shall be subject to the penalties 

15 and entitled to the privileges and immunities pro16 vided in the Federal Trade Commission Act. 

17 (3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 

18 section may be construed to limit the authority of 

19 the Commission under any other provision of law. 

20 (c) ONE NATIONAL STANDARD.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—A State, or political subdivi22 sion of a State, may not maintain, enforce, pre23 scribe, or continue in effect any law, rule, regulation, 

24 requirement, standard, or other provision having the 

25 force and effect of law of the State, or political subVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:10 Nov 04, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6125.IH H6125

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1 division of the State, that requires an online dating 

2 service provider to notify, prohibits an online dating 

3 service provider from notifying, or otherwise affects 

4 the manner in which an online dating service pro5 vider is required or permitted to notify, a member 

6 of the online dating service that the member has re7 ceived a message from or sent a message to a 

8 banned member through the online dating service. 

9 (2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—This subsection 

10 may not be construed to preempt any law of a State 

11 or political subdivision of a State relating to con12 tracts or torts. 

13 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

14 (1) BANNED MEMBER.—The term ‘‘banned 

15 member’’ means a member of an online dating serv16 ice whose account or profile on the online dating 

17 service is the subject of a fraud ban. 

18 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

19 means the Federal Trade Commission. 

20 (3) FRAUD BAN.—The term ‘‘fraud ban’’ means 

21 the termination or suspension of the account or pro22 file of a member of an online dating service because, 

23 in the judgment of the online dating service pro24 vider, there is a significant risk the member will atVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:10 Nov 04, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6125.IH H6125

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1 tempt to obtain money from another member 

2 through fraudulent means. 

3 (4) MEMBER.—The term ‘‘member’’ means an 

4 individual who— 

5 (A) submits to an online dating service 

6 provider the information required by the pro7 vider to establish an account or profile on the 

8 online dating service; and 

9 (B) is allowed by the provider to establish 

10 such an account or profile. 

11 (5) ONLINE DATING SERVICE.—The term ‘‘on12 line dating service’’ means a service that— 

13 (A) is provided through a website or a mo14 bile application; and 

15 (B) offers members access to dating or ro16 mantic relationships with other members by ar17 ranging or facilitating the social introduction of 

18 members. 

19 (6) ONLINE DATING SERVICE PROVIDER.—The 

20 term ‘‘online dating service provider’’ means a per21 son engaged in the business of offering an online 

22 dating service. 

23 (7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each 

24 State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 

25 each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 


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1 United States, and each federally recognized Indian 

2 Tribe. 

3 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 

4 on the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment 

5 of this Act. 

Æ 


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