Bumble, the social networking app for women, returns with Stand for Safety after the successful launch of its first edition last year. The campaign is part of the app's ongoing global effort to create a safer, friendlier, and more respectful internet.

In response to growing digital security concerns in India, this year the app is collaborating with the Center for Social Research (CSR), a non-profit organization dedicated to building a non-violent and inclusive society in India, to publish a one-of-a-kind safety manual to raise awareness of digital safety and empower the community to recognize and address online hate, bullying, and discrimination.

The handbook, produced in partnership with Nyaaya, an independent open-access digital resource, provides simple, actionable information to educate people about their legal rights and how to exercise them when faced with hate and discrimination in line.

"We are delighted to partner with the Centre for Social Research and Nyaaya to create this one-of-a-kind safety handbook to support our community and equip them with crucial information to recognize and combat online abuse, discrimination, and harassment. Bumble is built on the core values of kindness, respect, inclusivity, and equality, and safety has been central to Bumble's mission from day one. Our 'Stand for Safety' initiative further demonstrates our deeper commitment to creating a world where all relationships are healthy and equitable," commented Mahima Kaul, Head of Public Policy APAC at Bumble.

The app's recent nationwide study revealed how online harassment is affecting people across the country. Some of the most notable findings include:

1 in 2 (50 percent) people have 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.

40 percent of people surveyed say that they have faced online hate-driven speech and bullying with regards to discrimination against a particular group or community and their physical appearance.

More than half (52 percent) of people surveyed said they have felt angry after facing online hate and bullying.

48 percent of people say that facing online hate and bullying has made it hard for them to trust other people. Out of this, more than half respondents surveyed were women.

Jyoti Vadehra, Head, of Media and Communications at the Centre for Social Research, commented, "Equal, equitable, and inclusive online spaces can become a reality when we all work together. We are happy to have partnered with Bumble in India in their efforts to make the Internet a safer and kinder space, especially for women and other marginalized communities. Creation of Bumble's Safety Handbook is a vital step in the right direction, and the purpose is to give agency to the users, and to empower them with the right tools to fortify their well-being while navigating the online space."

Recognizing India's socio-cultural and multilingual diversity, the app will strive to update its policies by adding more stop words in several Indian regional languages to continue its commitment to promoting a safe and inclusive online space.

Bumble also offers a full suite of product features with an emphasis on security. The app allows users to block and report anyone who violates our Community Guidelines. People can easily access the Safety + Wellbeing Center resource hub in the app built to help our community have a safe and healthy dating experience. As a geographically specific feature of the Bumble community in India, a woman can choose to use only the initials of her name to create her Bumble Date profile and can share her full name with contacts when she is there, ready and at her, she is comfortable.

In 2019, the company introduced Private Detector, a feature that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically detect and blur unsolicited nude images. The feature then alerts the recipient who can choose to view, delete, or report the image.

The app also updated its terms and conditions to explicitly ban any unsolicited and derogatory comments made about someone's appearance, body shape, size, or health and became one of the first social networking apps to ban body shaming. (AA/IANS)