For many singles, the daily commute is the perfect opportunity to go online and browse dating apps.
But if you’re travelling with Northern, there’s bad news for you.
The rail operator’s onboard WiFi will now block access to all dating apps and websites.
Northern says the ban has been prompted by fears that children on board its trains might see inappropriate content.
“While some dating websites (and users) will operate with appropriate levels of self-moderation, some may not and it is important that content that is not suitable for everyone to view or listen to (particularly children) is not seen on our trains,” said Matt Rice, Northern’s chief operating officer.
For many singles, the daily commute is the perfect opportunity to go online and browse dating apps. But if you’re travelling with Northern, there’s bad news for you (file image)
Northern is one of the UK’s largest rail operators, second only to FirstGroup plc, which operates Great Western Railway.
It provides around 2,500 local and regional services every day to over 500 stations across the North of England.
In total, 100 million passenger trips are made on its network each year.
The rail operator is offering free onboard WiFi to these customers under the ‘Friendly WiFi’ programme, the government-initiated secure certification standard for public WiFi.
This means that several categories of content, including video streaming, gambling, alcohol, adult content, pornography, and nudity, are blocked.
The rail operator has revealed that its onboard WiFi will now block access to all dating apps and websites.
The news has not been well received on social media, with many users claiming that Northern’s WiFi isn’t even working in the first place.
“This is the best sales pitch I’ve ever seen! Our wifi is down, but to put a positive spin on the situation, we designed it that way to keep everyone safe,” one user tweeted.
“The WIFI services on the train do not work well at all times!” said one user.
Now, Northern has added dating apps and websites to this list.
“Every year we welcome millions of people aboard our trains,” Rice said.
“Secure and reliable Internet access is an integral part of our customers’ expectations.”
The news has not been well received on social media, with many users claiming that Northern’s WiFi is not even working.
In response to Northern’s post about the change on X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote: “It would be helpful to start with if it actually worked.”
Another added: “This is the best sales pitch I’ve ever seen! Our wifi isn’t working, but to put a positive spin on the situation, we designed it that way to keep everyone safe.”
‘You’d crush the apprentice!!’
And one joked: ‘Your wifi won’t even load a Google page, let alone anything else!’
Mr Rice added: “Putting aside this embargo on inflight dating apps, we wish our single customers all the best in their search for their perfect match.”