The dangers of dating apps focus almost exclusively on protecting girls and women from predatory adults. But there’s an equally dangerous—mostly untold—story about what happens when minors deceive unsuspecting adults online.  

As a licensed clinical social worker and certified trauma therapist, I’ve worked with hundreds of women survivors of sexual trauma. I’m intimately familiar with the consequences of sexual abuse and exploitation.

I believe that every adult has a duty to protect minors and children from sexual harm.

I’ve also personally witnessed the devastating, life-altering consequences of minors using fake-age scams on Bumble to deceive adults who trust they’re in an adults-only space.

Here are some facts about minors and dating apps:

• In 2024, about 1 in 6 (more than 5.7 million) minors aged 9-17 reported using a dating app.[1]
• More than twice as many girls than boys aged 9-17 use dating apps; accounting for 3.9 million users in 2024.[2]
• Twenty-nine percent of minors (approximately 10 million) aged 9-17 have had an online sexual interaction with someone they believed to be an adult.[3]
• Despite terms of service prohibiting minors from signing up, Bumble doesn’t use the technology it already has[4] to require biometric age verification screening to block minors from using their platform.
• Some minors on dating apps have criminal records and use the app to engage in predatory, deceptive schemes that qualify as legal entrapment.

Unsuspecting adults who meet minors on dating apps have been charged with serious, felony sex offenses even though they had no interest or intention to meet or have sex with a minor.

If this happens to you, you may be charged with a crime even if the minor (or their family member) doesn’t want to press charges. You may be convicted under laws that don’t allow you to present evidence that you were scammed. If you’re convicted, you may go to prison and be labeled a “sex offender” for the rest of your life.

How do I know?

Because right now a beloved family member of mine is incarcerated after being deceived and manipulated by a minor who created a completely fabricated profile on Bumble.

And my family member isn’t the only one who was scammed by this minor.

At least two men are currently serving a cumulative total of over 19 years in prison because Bumble allowed a minor on its app.

Both men were placed on the sex offender registry for life. Neither of these men had a prior criminal record. But the minor did.

This could happen to anyone, and Bumble has the power to stop it from happening again.

Bumble can require every new and existing user to prove they’re who they say they are through biometric age verification screening. Bumble uses biometric screening now, but it’s optional.

Bumble’s community guidelines say, “Safety is a top priority at Bumble.”[5]  If safety is Bumble’s top priority, it should make biometric age verification mandatory now.

Sign the petition to urge Bumble to make biometric age verification mandatory.

No underage person should be allowed on a dating app. Ever. It’s dangerous for them, and it’s dangerous for adults who unknowingly get scammed because of the fake profiles they create.

Every day that Bumble allows minors to fraudulently create profiles on its app, it puts more minors at risk for sexual harm and more adults at risk for devastating, life-altering, legal consequences.

Signing this petition is a win-win for everyone. It’s an opportunity for Bumble to take a consequential stand for safety and put pressure on other dating apps to do the same.

It’s time for Bumble to make biometric age verification mandatory and permanent for all users, everywhere in the world.

Sign the petition to demand that Bumble implement mandatory biometric age verification now. 

Make Bumble safe for everyone.

Victoria Priya, LCSW

 
[1] In 2024, there were over 36 million people between the ages of 9-17 in the US. (https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-national-detail.html)

[2] Thorn. Youth Perspectives on Online Safety, 2024: Annual Report of Youth Attitudes and Experiences (https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/Thorn_24_YouthMonitoring_Report.pdf)

[3] Thorn. The State of the Issue. (https://www.thorn.org/research/state-of-the-issue/)

[4] Bumble Privacy and User Data. ID Verification. (https://support.bumble.com/hc/en-us/articles/28785291893917-Verifying-with-your-ID)

[5] Bumble’s Community Guidelines. Safety Reporting. (https://bumble.com/en-us/guidelines)