Dating Apps Speak Out Against Racism and Reckon With Ethnicity Filters

While major dating apps have pivoted their marketing campaigns and in-app functions to promote virtual dating since the Covid-19 pandemic began in March, they’re now shifting focus to address another urgent issue: racial injustice outside and within their platforms.

Like many brands, dating apps have posted social media statements and pledged donations in support of #BlackLivesMatter since global protests began last week in response to the killings of unarmed Black people in America, including George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25; Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., on March 13; Tony McDade in Tallahassee, Fla., on May 27; Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Ga. on Feb. 23; and David McAtee, killed by police during the Louisville protests on June 1.

However, it’s no secret that racial bias is prevalent within the apps. A five-year study OkCupid released in 2014 found that Black people and Asian men fared the worst in terms of racial and gender preference among 25 million users. And certain apps have functions that enable users to filter ethnicity, which naturally could encourage discrimination.

Here’s how some of the most popular dating apps have spoken out against racism on social media, and announced plans to change app features and address racist users.

Grindr

We will not be silent. Black Lives Matter. https://t.co/K671PrwJc0 pic.twitter.com/93ninYt2u9
— Grindr (@Grindr) June 1, 2020

The location-based gay dating and hookup app initially tweeted “Demand justice. #BlackLivesMatter” on May 29 and was swiftly met with responses criticizing its option that allows users to filter matches based on ethnicity.

In response, Grindr deleted the tweet and posted a new statement on June 1, announcing a “zero-tolerance policy for racism and hate speech on our platform. As part of this commitment and based on your feedback, we have decided to remove the ethnicity filter from our next release.”

The brand also posted a link to a page of ways to support #BlackLivesMatter, and announced donations to the movement as well as the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which defends the rights of Black trans people.

Amazing. Please can we report profiles with “no blacks, no trans, no Asians” in there profiles and you can deal with them quickly as you do sex workers?
— Eupd Guy #BLM???????? (@santouris) June 1, 2020

While Grindr will delete the filter, users are also calling on the brand to make more of an effort to ban profiles with racist messages.

Bumble

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We’ve had a lot of tough conversations within our company about how to respond to the injustices of the past week, and the systemic racism that confronts our country and our Bumble community. Bumble has always had a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to racism, hatred, and bigotry of any kind — both as a business and on our platforms, including within our app. Our priority is to do the work. As a company, and as a community, we’ve made some immediate decisions to prioritize the wellbeing of our employees, many of whom are hurting. ????We’re expanding our mental health guidance for Bumble employees to ensure they have the space and support to process traumatic news events. ????We’re taking a close look internally at how we can consistently facilitate open conversations about racism and violence, not just during a news cycle. ????We’re making donations to the AAPI Civic Fund and the NAACP, non-profits led by, respectively, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Black Americans. We will continue to evaluate all of our non-profit donations and partnerships through a lens of intersectionality. ????We’re looking at how we can make product and policy improvements to address racism and unconscious bias, led by our internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion solution squads. ????We’ll continue our work with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to root out hate speech within our app, employing artificial intelligence to identify hate symbols and using the ADL’s research and terminology as our standard. ????If you experience any form of racism on Bumble, please use our Block and Report feature so we can investigate each case appropriately. Your safety is paramount, especially during this time of heightened fear and targeted harassment. You can also reach out to our team for support at any time (bumble.com/safety). We know we have work to do. We are listening. This isn’t a one-off post. More to come.

A post shared by Bumble (@bumble) on May 29, 2020 at 5:02pm PDT

The women-focused dating and networking app posted a detailed statement on Instagram, noting the brand had held an internal discussion on how to respond to systemic racism in the U.S. and on its platform.

The resulting planned efforts include donating to the AAPI Civic Fund and the NAACP; discussing how to make product and policy improvements to address racism and unconscious bias; working with the Anti-Defamation League to delete hate speech within the app; and expanding mental health resources for employees.

The brand doesn’t have an option for users to filter potential matches based on ethnicity.

Hinge

#BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloyd #TonyMcDade #BreyonnaTaylor #AhmaudArbery pic.twitter.com/QlpgMSRQGm

— Hinge (@hinge) May 31, 2020

Hinge announced support for #BlackLivesMatter and donations to organizations to fight racism and transphobia, including the National Black Justice Coalition, Know Your Rights Camp and the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund. In a statement to Adweek, the brand also noted it’s offering employees unlimited access to professional counseling through web-based therapy company BetterHelp.

However, on the app, members are able to choose a specific ethnicity and deem it as a “dealbreaker” when swiping for a match, unless members choose the “Open to All” option.

Hinge

“Hinge has a zero-tolerance policy for hate, and anyone exhibiting this behavior will be banned from our community. Now and always, if a user experiences racism, we want them to report it through our hate speech reporting option, and we will take immediate action,” a Hinge spokesperson said in a statement. “Furthermore, we have an ongoing relationship with the Anti-Defamation League to identify and remove any hate speech within our app.”

The brand declined to comment on whether it plans to modify or delete its ethnicity filter.

OkCupid

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We are with you and we want to be part of the change. As an inclusive platform where millions of people of all races, religions, backgrounds and beliefs come together, we’ve always said there is no room for hate in a place where you’re looking for love, and it’s never been more important than this moment right now. First, we are donating to the @ACLU_Nationwide, @BlackGirlsCode, @FairFightAction, and the @NAACP_LDF — organizations who are on the frontlines of fighting for racial equality. Second, we know change starts with conversations, so we are adding new matching questions to ignite discussions around racial equality and justice for our users across the United States. Third, we know there is more work to be done, and we are committed to creating better experiences for our black employees and black users around the world through discussion and education. We encourage these conversations and want to be a place that facilitates them, both on our app and in our workplace. This is only the beginning.

A post shared by OkCupid (@okcupid) on Jun 1, 2020 at 4:26pm PDT

Ian Zelaya

ian.zelaya@adweek.com Ian Zelaya is an Adweek reporter covering how brands engage with consumers in the modern world, ranging from experiential marketing and social media to email marketing and customer experience.