Hookup app Tinder has apologized after banning a number of accounts that were supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
While some users had been encouraging others to donate to the cause, or sign petitions, some affected said they had simply added #BLM or #BlackLivesMatter to their profiles.
Initially, Tinder argued that it had acted within its guidelines, which state that the platform may not be used for “promotional purposes”.
It has since backpedalled, confirming that anyone banned can request to be reinstated and that no further action would be taken.
Many users were simply indicating their support for #BLM, to discourage anyone tempted to swipe right while not supporting a ‘dealbreaker’ for matches.
Some users had offered to send naked pictures to anyone donating to Black Lives Matter – a more serious breach, but one that will now be tolerated – providing none of the nude shots are posted to Tinder itself.
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In a response to Buzzfeed News, Tinder explains:
“While our community guidelines state that we may remove accounts used for promotional purposes, we are dedicated to enforcing our guidelines in line with our values.
“We have voiced our support for the Black Lives Matter movement and want our platform to be a place where our members can do the same.”
There had been some discomfort at the move, because Tinder had previously released a statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, making their actions somewhat at odds with their promises.
Tinder has also confirmed that it has donated a significant, but undisclosed, amount to the Black Lives Matter campaign.
At present there is no indication of a change to the terms and conditions for Tinder users, but rather this is an exception that falls outside the normal policy.
However, the lines between social media and dating apps remain blurred – not least because many function as both – and the rules don’t really reflect that in matters of the heart, context is everything.
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