In a significant move towards promoting safer online dating, women-first dating app Bumble has announced a new partnership with Tarang Chawla, a leading safety advocate working to end violence against women, and the co-founder of grassroots non-profit Not One More Niki.
The new collaboration between Bumble and Chawla is driven by a new mission to spar conversations around safer and more respectful dating – particularly amongst men – while also launching new features that empower the Bumble community to create meaningful, and safe, connections.
Chawla, whose personal journey has been shaped by the tragic loss of his younger sister Nikita, who was murdered by her partner 10 years ago, is deeply committed to ending violence against women. In addition to his work with the non-profit, Chawla serves as Commissioner at the Victorian Multicultural Commission, where he works to bring the lived experiences of culturally diverse people to policymakers. He’s also a sessional academic at Monash University, and a founding board member of the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council.
As part of the new partnership with Bumble, Chawla will add another important role to his resume – taking on on the role of Bumble’s Australia Safety Advocate, where Bumble says he’ll provide expert guidance on the app’s safety policies and new features, as well as leading an Instagram social series aimed at encouraging men to engage in self-reflection.
Chawla’s new role as a Safety Advocate will see him directly contribute to shaping Bumble’s policies around safety, while spearheading an educational campaign to shift the dating culture in Australia. His social content series with Bumble will target men – urging them to take responsibility for their actions and foster a more respectful and thoughtful approach to dating.
“Women have every right to feel safe, and dating should be a fun and positive experience for everyone. What attracts me to Bumble is that it is built on a foundation of women having agency,” Chawla said in a statement. “I’m excited about how this partnership will encourage men to take accountability and contribute to a safer and more respectful dating culture in Australia.”
Bumble’s new features are designed with user safety at the forefront. The app’s latest updates are part of its ongoing commitment to creating a secure and trustworthy environment for all members:
- Share Date: Bumble users can now share their date details—including who they’re meeting, when, and where—with a trusted contact. Bumble says that the goal of this new feature is to empower users to keep their friends or family informed about their whereabouts, providing an extra layer of security when using the app. Research conducted by Bumble found that 80% of Australian women share their date details with someone they trust before meeting up.
- ID Verification: Bumble has introduced a new ID Verification feature, allowing users to submit a government-issued ID for verification. Once verified, users will receive a badge on their profile, letting potential connections know that their identity has been confirmed. With 84% of women on dating apps stating they are more likely to use a platform that verifies identities, this new feature is set to enhance trust and encourage what Bumble says will be authentic connections.
- Review Before You Send: To prevent inappropriate behaviour, Bumble is expanding its Review Before You Send feature. This tool alerts users if a message may be inappropriate before it’s sent, giving them the chance to edit or rethink their message. During testing, Bumble shared that over 40% of users chose to edit their message after receiving the notification. The feature now extends to chat conversations beyond the Compliments feature, reinforcing Bumble’s commitment to encouraging positive interactions.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe and confident in their connections, especially when meeting someone new,” says Chawla. “Bumble’s women-first mission and commitment to building tools that give women agency resonate deeply with me—that’s why I founded Not One More Niki and why I’m proud to serve as Bumble’s Safety Advocate. Safety starts with education, which is why I continue to drive conversations around safer dating behaviours and help create a culture where trust and respect come first.”
Here at Missing Perspectives, we love seeing meaningful partnerships – and here is one we can definitely get behind, and could have a true social impact.
Top photo source: https://tarangchawla.com/
