Bumble Bans Gun Photos From Members' Profiles

In the wake of the Parkland school shooting that left 17 people dead, Bumble  announced it will no longer allow members to post any photos of guns or other weapons.

The popular app, which was created as a “female-first” dating service, will search through all of its members’ profiles and remove images with weapons. The company plans to filter out any mention or discussion of guns in written content as well, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd told The New York Times.

The new policy won’t apply to people working in law enforcement or in the military. Herd said that some gun owners, such as competitive sports shooters, could appeal to the company to keep their gun photos on the site. 

In a blog post published on Monday, Bumble wrote: 

Bumble was founded with safety in mind. From the start, our mission has been to build a social network rooted in respect and kindness.

Online behavior can both mirror and predict how people treat each other in the real world. Bumble has a responsibility to our users and a larger goal to encourage accountability offline.

In the past, when we’ve had an opportunity to make our platform safer, we’ve taken action, banning hate speech and inappropriate sexual content from the Bumble app.

As mass shootings continue to devastate communities across the country, it’s time to state unequivocally that gun violence is not in line with our values, nor do these weapons belong on Bumble.

From today on, we will begin the process of moderating all new and previously uploaded photos for the presence of guns.* Our terms and conditions will be updated to reflect this decision.

Bumble is also making a $100,000 donation to March For Our Lives , the organization founded by the brave young survivors of the Parkland tragedy. We stand with them, and join them in working towards a non-violent future.

*This excludes users in military or law enforcement in uniform.