Bumble, a dating and flirting app launched as a feminist app, has been the target of criticism in the US for its ads. The ads, in which singleness was belittled and women’s preferences were ignored, were met with great reaction. The ad campaign at the center of criticism was terminated and Bumble apologized to women.
Don’t stop flirting, don’t become a nun!
In the statements that appeared on billboards in Los Angeles, people who prefer celibacy were mockingly belittled. Statements such as “Vows of celibacy are not the answer” and “Don’t stop dating, don’t become a nun!” caused a huge reaction on social media.
The app, which according to market analysts has 76 percent male users, was accused of using women to gain access to men. However, according to a Bumble spokesperson, this statistic of market researchers does not reflect the truth.
Bumble published an apology message on its official Instagram account after the reactions. Stating that the ads were made for humor but they unintentionally did the opposite, the company said that they have been defending women’s rights and the personal preferences of marginalized groups for years.
Adding that they could not stay true to these values with the campaign, Bumble apologized to women. Bumble, which started to remove the controversial campaign, announced that it will donate to organizations that support women, marginalized groups and victims of abuse.
Founded in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd, who left Tinder, another dating app, bumble was launched as a feminist dating app. In order to exchange messages on the app, two people have to mutually like each other.
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