The dating app is leading a campaign to end unsolicited nude images, with new laws set to be adopted in the U.K
Dating app Bumble is pushing lawmakers to criminalise unsolicited nudes or “cyberflashing”, because it constitutes a form of sexual abuse.
The company’s Head of Public Policy says it has a detection system to stamp out unwanted photos.
But they now have their eyes on an internet-wide monitor that would protect users from harmful content.
In 2018 a UK study revealed over 40 per cent of millennial women had received an unsolicited nude in their lifetime.
After that survey, Bumble launched the ‘Private Detector’, which uses A.I technology to blur unwanted private images.
And further studies have revealed 76 per cent of girls between the ages of 12 and 18 have been the recipients of unsolicited nude images.
In March this year the UK government announced a new Online Safety Bill, which moves to make “cyberflashing” a criminal offence.
Under the new laws perpetrators could face up to two years in prison.
In response to the announcement a Bumble release states, “Bumble worked with key politicians and organisations to achieve this significant milestone.”
“This new law is the first step to creating accountability and consequences for this everyday form of harassment that causes victims—predominantly women—to feel distressed, violated, and vulnerable online.”
In July last year the dating company made headlines for giving staff unlimited paid leave.
