Government regulation

US government regulation of dating services began with the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) [24] which took effect in March 2007 after a federal judge in Georgia upheld a challenge from the dating site European Connections. The law requires internationally oriented dating services to conduct, among other procedures, sex offender checks on US customers before communication can occur with a foreigner.

Only 4 percent of Singaporeans having ever used an online dating service. Internet dating is not that popular despite the country’s high rate of internet penetration. This could be attributed to the government's traditional role of matching up singles in the past decades.[25]

New Jersey became the first state to enact a law requiring the sites to disclose whether they perform background checks

Online introduction services

In 2008 a variation of the online dating model emerged in the form of introduction sites, attracting a large number of users and significant investor interest.[27] Introduction sites differ from the traditional online dating model, where members have to search and contact other members, by introducing members to other members whom they deem compatible, thus claiming to eliminate much of the mayhem of traditional online dating. Although the two introduction services operate vastly different from each other and offer different features, both claim to be more effective than traditional online personals.

Free dating

Most free dating websites are dependent on advertising revenue, using tools such as Google Adsense, affiliate marketing. Since advertising revenues are modest compared to membership fees, free dating sites require a large number of page views to achieve profitability.

There are some online dating services that claim to offer free registrations and search, but which are not truly free online dating service if they charge users to communicate. True free online dating services offer free communication and generate revenue mainly from advertising.

Other free dating sites operate a freemium model, where basic dating site operations are free of charge, but advanced features such as virtual gifts are available to paying users only.

In popular culture

    * You've Got Mail, a 1998 film in which the two protagonists conduct a relationship entirely over email before meeting each other.
    * Napoleon Dynamite, a 2004 film in a which one subplot involves a central character's online (and later in person) relationship.
    * Euro Trip, a 2004 film in which the central character has a relationship wholly via email with a girl from Berlin.
    * Must Love Dogs, a 2005 film about two people trying to find love through online dating.
    * Another Gay Movie, a 2006 film where a student finds his high school English teacher online.
    * Because I Said So, a 2007 film in which a mother creates an online dating profile for her daughter.
    * Jewtopia, a play which revolves around Jewish dating service JDate.
    * Keeping Up with the Kardashians Kim And Kourtney set up Kloe on an Internet Dating Service.