Bumble Bringing Back Safety Initiative for India
Contributed by: kellyseal on Monday, July 04 2022 @ 03:16 pm
Last modified on Monday, July 04 2022 @ 04:47 pm
Dating app Bumble is rekindling its “Stand for Safety” initiative in India to help combat online abuse.
According to Business Today India, the company released a guidebook created in partnership with the Centre for Social Research (CSR), a non-profit, and Nyaaya, an open-access digital resource center that educates people about their rights. The guide will “drive awareness around digital safety and support the community in recognizing and combating online abuse, bullying, and discrimination.”
Bumble decided to relaunch the initiative after conducting a survey across India on the scope and effects of online harassment. The company found that 50 percent of respondents had seen hateful online content, and around 40 percent have faced hate speech and bullying in regard to their particular community, or to their physical appearance.
At least one quarter of women have “witnessed negative comments about their physical appearance” and experienced abuse “at least once a week,” according to Business Today[*1] .
The guide will help inform people on what to do when they encounter hate speech or online bullying; and will be a living document where content is updated. The company also plans to add content in multiple regional languages.
In addition to the safety guide, Bumble offers a Safety + Wellbeing Centre for users as a resource, and its “Private Detector” feature uses AI to detect and blur unsolicited nude photographs and bans derogatory comments made about a user’s appearance. In addition, a woman can use just her initials to create a dating profile, providing her some anonymity until she feels comfortable enough to reveal her identity.
“We are delighted to partner with the Centre for Social Research and Nyaaya to create this one-of-a-kind safety handbook to support our community and equip them with crucial information to recognize and combat online abuse, discrimination and harassment,” said Mahima Kaul, Head of Public Policy APAC at Bumble, in a press release.
“Equal, equitable and inclusive online spaces can become a reality when we all work together. We are happy to have partnered with Bumble in India in their efforts to make the Internet a safer and kinder space especially for women and other marginalized communities. Creation of Bumble’s Safety Handbook is a vital step in the right direction, and the purpose is to give agency to the users, and to empower them with the right tools to fortify their well-being, while navigating the online space,” said Jyoti Vadehra, Head, Media and Communications at Centre for Social Research, in the announcement.