ID proof will be must for matrimonial ads online

There have been various stories which we hear regarding various cheating or fake identities on matrimonial sites. In a move to curb such incidents, soon, ID proof must to place matrimonial ads online.

A government official explained, “the guidelines,  are in line with the Information Technology Act, 2000, will be notified soon by the Department of Electronics & Information Technology.”

As per new proposed guidelines, an Aadhaar card or a driving licence or any government-approved identity proof will soon be required to place matrimonial advertisements on websites. These draft guidelines have been prepared after consultations with leading matrimonial websites.

Guidelines also include that these matrimonial websites might have to store the IP address of profile creation and access logs for a period of one year from the date of account deactivation by a user.

It states that the user will also have to give an undertaking to the online service provider, confirming his intent to enter into a matrimonial alliance, before he registers on such sites.

Also, these websites will now have to create awareness amongst the users as well. They will have to caution users against possible fraudsters who ask for favours, money, etc. and other possible misuses as known to or reported to the matrimonial websites.

The draft guidelines also state that the registered users will be encouraged to report any fraudulent activity to such websites as well as to law enforcing agencies.

In the light of the growing instances of fake online profiles to cyber stalk or dupe women, these guidelines are more than necessary. At present these websites only ask for cell phone numbers of people who put their profiles and do phone verification only.