'To Create Safer, Kinder, Equitable Internet': Bumble Launches Safety Guide To Combat Online Abuse

A first-of-its-kind 'Safety Guide' that explains the process to identify and report online harassment has been launched by Bumble, the online dating and networking app.

Bumble has been at the forefront of perusing the existing social issues and decoding the possibilities to empower women. After creating a space to let women take the lead, it is now taking steps to ensure that space stays 'safe'.

The organisation partnered with Red Dot Foundation's flagship safety program 'Safecity' for the initiative. Safecity offers a platform to encourage people to report personal stories of sexual harassment anonymously, to gather data that facilitates in formulating adequate plans to improve awareness and prevent crime.

An extensive survey conducted by Bumble India called attention to the fact that at least 83 per cent of women in the country had faced online harassment of some kind. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic, which shrunk our world to digital devices, also led to increased incidents of cyberbullying.

The comprehensive guide described six types of digital abuse and harassment — cyberstalking which is to use electronic media to follow or attempt to contact someone; doxxing which refers to revealing another person's personal information without their consent; falsely personating someone online; concern trolling, leaking personal videos and flaming which involves posting disrespectful comments on online platforms. It also stressed the ways to report it in an attempt to prevent occurrences of such incidents.

"At Bumble, our mission has always been to create a kinder, safer, respectful, and equitable internet. Through the Stand for Safety initiative, Bumble continues to demonstrate its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy for racist, harassing, hate-driven speech, and bullying of any kind.

Our recent nationwide survey found 83% of women surveyed in India experience online harassment of some kind, and 1 in 3 women experience it weekly. And a further 70% of women believe that cyberbullying increased since lockdown was announced in 2020," Priti Joshi, VP of Global Strategy and Operations told The Logical Indian.

She further added that the guide was created with an aim to equip women to understand and recognise online harassment, suggestions on how to tackle difficult situations, and resources available to prevent and combat digital abuse.

"The safety of our community is our top priority and we will continue to invest and innovate to ensure that every person feels safe and empowered to meet new people on Bumble," Joshi said.

Also Read: This Social Entrepreneur Is Creating Pencils Out Of Recycled Newspaper