Bumble has added a new feature to the accounts reporting function to safeguard its users from scams, catfishing, and predators.
Bumble is a dating app that lets women take the first step as a safety measure. Observing the recent rise of fake personalities generated by highly lifelike AI platforms, Bumble is strengthening safety measures for its users. In 2022, nearly 70,000 people reported romance scams, which summed up to over $1.3 billion in monetary losses. These romance scams include catfishing, fraud, and fake online relationships.
The platform has introduced a manual intervention feature that allows users to report AI-generated images, videos, and overall profiles. As a safety measure, AI-enhanced images of people will also be considered in the reports. The AI-generated images, videos, and profiles will be blacklisted under fake profile reports.
Bumble’s Vice President of Product, Risa Stein, said in an official statement, "An essential part of creating a space to build meaningful connections is removing any element that is misleading or dangerous. We are committed to continually improving our technology to ensure that Bumble is a safe and trusted dating environment. By introducing this new reporting option, we can better understand how bad actors and fake profiles are using AI disingenuously so our community feels confident in making connections."
According to a recent survey conducted by Bumble, over 70% of the service’s GenZ and Millennial users preferred a limited use of AI-generated content on the platform. Another 71% of the survey audience considered the use of AI-generated images to enhance pictures or show people in places they’ve never been to, a strong indicator of catfishing.
Earlier this year, the platform released a Deception Detector tool that leverages AI to identify and block phony profiles. It also launched an AI tool that prevented users from seeing unsolicited nudity and explicit profile requests. Tinder and other dating apps are joining the effort to reduce AI-generated content on their platform and increase awareness through adequate labeling.
