Bumble Partners With Nonprofit Panorama Global
Online dating brand Bumble has partnered with nonprofit organisation Panorama Global on an initiative to address image-based sexual abuse. The initiative was made possible by seed funding from Bumble, alongside other organisations.
Panorama defines image-based sexual abuse as the “form of abuse [that] occurs when someone shares, or threatens to share, intimate or explicit images without someone’s consent”.
The initiative will see Panorama Global create resources, information, and events to bring relevant leaders together and drive change. Firstly, the organisation released the publication ‘I Didn’t Consent: A Global Landscape Report on Image-Based Sexual Abuse’.
It highlights that this form of abuse can lead to a real impact, including mental illness, suicide, job loss, social islolation, and more. The report found that there are 3,000 websites where abusers can upload and view these images, which are mainly of women and girls.
In the USA, 1 in 8 Americans have been victims of nonconsensual pornography, while image-based abuse in the UK affects 15% of Britons aged between 18 and 45.
While the report identifies laws and hotlines that can help victims of this abuse, it shares that there are also barriers to justice. It explains that gaps in laws, inconsistent enforcement, and a lack of specialised training for authorities means that abusers rarely face criminal charges.
The report recommends certain next steps for policymakers, including lengthening the statute of limitations in cases of image-based sexual abuse, adopting comprehensive new criminal laws, and expanding the availability and affordability of resources for survivors.
“As a woman-led tech company we have a responsibility to our community to prevent and address image-based sexual abuse on our platform and beyond. We are pleased to partner with Panorama Global on this initiative to raise awareness about image-based sexual abuse and ensure that those who experience it receive the justice and care they need”, said Payton Iheme, Bumble’s Vice President of Global Public Policy.
