The Law of Digital Matchmaking

‘Digital matchmaking’ is a transaction that a platform facilitates that brings strangers into close physical proximity. Even though physically removed, the platform exercises significant control over the transaction. The strangers that are brought together are typically a guest, eg an Uber passenger, and a service provider (‘service providers’), eg an Uber driver. Uber, Airbnb, Airtasker, and Tinder are digital matchmakers. From a legal standpoint, digital matchmaking is largely unexplored. The thesis is on (i) the practice (ii) applicability of Australian law given that transactions are multi-jurisdictional and (iii) legal aspects of the relationship and interaction between platforms and users.