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Bumble bans images of guns in profile pictures

Bumble bans images of guns in profile pictures

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The company says users in the military and law enforcement will be the exception if they’re in uniform

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Dating app Bumble will no longer allow images of guns in users’ profile photos. In a blog post last night, the company announced that its moderation team would begin the process of removing any previously uploaded user photos that include gun imagery or firearms and continue to moderate new uploads in the future.

The decision comes amid widespread calls for gun control following several mass shootings in the US, including one last month at a high school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed. In the weeks that followed, companies like Delta, United Airlines, MetLife, and Hertz cut ties with the NRA, largely due to public pushback. Bumble has also cut ties with the NRA, The New York Times reports.

Bumble’s CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, told the Times that moderators will also remove photos that feature other weapons, like knives, though it’s not clear exactly how far the new policy extends. “This is not super black and white,” Herd said in a statement to the Times. “It’s a very tricky battle we’ve chosen to taken on, but I’d rather pursue this than just ignore it.”

As the Times points out, the app allows users to integrate their Instagram profiles, which will not be censored by Bumble. The company’s new policy does feature an exemption for members of the military or law enforcement in uniform, a distinction that will likely be left up to Bumble’s moderation team. Herd also told the Times that some users, like hunters, may be able to appeal certain photo removals.

Bumble says it has updated its Terms of Service to include the new policy. The company will also donate $100,000 to March for Our Lives, the organization created by families impacted by the Parkland shooting.

The Verge has reached out to Bumble and will update with any new information.