The advent and evolution of the internet have facilitated a realm of opportunities and possibilities for users by removing all barriers, creating an open world with easy, instant, and endless communication. However, cyber harassment, stalking, and online abuse often targeted at women are some of the concerns when one navigates the internet. Enhanced digitization, greater access, and the allowance for anonymity has continued to fester the associated abuse, discrimination, and online bullying.

A national survey commissioned by Bumble across India revealed that 50% of the respondents encountered hateful content online and 1 in 4 women have witnessed negative comments about their physical appearance and abuse against women at least once a week. Further, around 40% reported that they faced online hate-driven speech and bullying in relation to discrimination against a particular group or community and their physical appearance. More than half of the people surveyed said they have felt angry after facing online hate and bullying. Sadly, around half of the respondents said that facing online hate and bullying has made it hard for them to trust others.

In order to tackle online bullying, it’s crucial to understand what online hate and abuse look like—and what are your options if you or someone you know faces such harassment. Bumble, the women-first social networking app, returns with ‘Stand for Safety’, after a successful launch of its first edition last year. The campaign is a part of the app’s continued global effort to help make the internet safer, kinder and more respectful.

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Bumble is partnering with the Centre for Social Research (CSR), a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a violence-free, gender-just society in India, to release a one-of-a-kind safety handbook to help drive awareness around digital safety and empower its community to recognize and combat online hate, bullying and discrimination.

The handbook, created in association with Nyaaya, an independent open access digital resource, provides simple, actionable information to educate people about their legal rights and ways to exercise them when faced with online hate and discrimination.

Bumble’s mission is to create a world where all relationships are healthy and equitable. In this regard, Bumble has explicitly banned unsolicited and derogatory comments about someone’s appearance, body shape, size, or health. Being the first social networking app to ban body shaming, Bumble users can now report someone for body shaming within the app using its Block + Report tool. Coupled with Artificial Intelligence (AI), Bumble can automatically detect and blur unsolicited nude images with its Private Detector feature. The platform also encourages its community to report bad behavior through its in-app reporting. No tolerance for hate, aggression, or bullying and user accountability are hallmarks of Bumble’s policy.

Dating and social networking might sometimes feel intimidating for different reasons. Awareness about your digital rights and precautionary steps can make it a safe and pleasant experience. Be sure to thoroughly read the safety handbook before sending that first message.

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