Bumble Unveils New Online Safety Guide
Contributed by: kellyseal on Monday, April 12 2021 @ 05:00 pm
Last modified on Monday, April 12 2021 @ 05:14 pm
Dating app Bumble has released a new safety guide for online daters in India to address safety issues and the rise of cyber bullying, which are rampant on online platforms.
The guide[*1] is part of a new initiative called “Stand for Safety” according to The Hindustan Times[*2] . The move is in partnership with Safecity, which helps women across the country to identify, prevent and combat abuse on online platforms.
Bumble conducted a survey among its users in India and found that 83 percent of women experience online harassment of some kind, and one-third of women experience it at least weekly. Almost 70 percent feel that cyberbullying has also increased since the pandemic took hold and lockdowns began. These numbers alarmed company executives, whose mission it is to improve safety for women on its platforms, so they decided to take action by publishing the guide.
Bumble’s safety guide is free and available to anyone via a website link, even for those who aren’t using the app. In it, different types of online abuse are listed, along with what they mean and what to do if you are experiencing abuse.
The guide begins with doxxing and cyberstalking, two prevalent problems in India. In addition to reporting and blocking the abuser, it suggests documenting every incident, even if you don’t intend to press charges. The company also advises the victim to file a formal complaint, either to police or The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Bumble also listed what to do when you encounter someone “concern trolling” – where the person pretends to care and show concern in order to harass you (such as fat-shaming), as well as flaming – which is using hostile language towards someone; and advised what you can do if someone leaks your personal videos.
The dating app encourages people to reach out to Safecity for help or to report abuse, and notes that this can be done anonymously. Bumble said the initiative demonstrates the company’s commitment to “a zero-tolerance policy for hate, aggression or bullying of any kind,” according to The Mint[*3] .
Priti Joshi, VP of Global Strategy & Operations at Bumble said in a statement: “Through Bumble’s Stands for Safety initiative, we hope to equip and empower women in India with crucial information to understand and recognize, prevent and fight digital abuse. We are happy to collaborate with Safecity who has been doing incredible work on creating safer spaces for women worldwide. We will continue to demonstrate our commitment to creating safer, healthy relationships on our platform and in our communities.”