Taiwan alarm sounded over dating apps

A CHILD welfare organization in Taiwan has called for tighter supervision of dating applications to avoid potential harm to young people.

The Child Welfare League Foundation published a report on Monday, showing that 37.7 percent of children it surveyed have used mobile dating apps to get to know strangers.

“There are three major potential dangers for children using dating apps: leaking of personal information, dangerous requests from strangers, and children leaving home to meet strangers in person,” said Huang Yunhsuan, with the CWLF.

Huang said if children do not have a good relationship with their family, they might resort to meeting strangers online to seek connection.

“We have noticed a rise in the number of children leaving home in such cases,” Huang said.

According to the report, dating apps have loopholes in areas such as age limits, reporting mechanisms, and leaking locations due to their GPS function.

The organization called on the Taiwan administration to tighten supervision. It also asked dating app operators to strengthen self-discipline, while children should be taught how to better protect themselves.

“Parents should communicate with their children more to avoid potential harm,” Huang said.

The report was conducted among children aged between 12 and 17. It received 1,889 responses, 49.1 percent of them junior high school students.