Bumble Under Fire for Allegedly Failing to Enforce User Blocks

Bumble is under scrutiny after users raised concerns that the dating app’s block feature is not working as advertised. The controversy began when Jennie Young, a professor of rhetoric and gender studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, posted an email from Bumble support on Instagram. The email, shared by a follower, stated: “Bumble will show you people you have swiped left/blocked on in the past – in case you have changed your mind.”

Young, known for her strategic approach to dating apps and her advocacy for assertive blocking, criticized the response, calling it “patriarchal, predatory, and disrespectful of women.” Her post quickly gained traction, sparking widespread criticism from users who viewed the practice as a violation of user boundaries and consent. Young has previously been known for the Burned Haystack Dating Method, a method of dating that uses the blocking feature to rapidly filter out accounts a user isn’t into.

In response to the backlash, Bumble issued several conflicting statements. Initially, support representatives suggested that blocked users reappearing could be due to those individuals creating new profiles. Later, after sustained pressure from Young and her followers, a support agent clarified that users “should not be seeing someone you have previously hidden or blocked,” calling prior messaging inaccurate.

A company spokesperson ultimately stated that “Bumble does not recycle blocked or hidden profiles” and reaffirmed the app’s commitment to user safety, while users that followed the outlined troubleshooting advice struggled to get the results they expected. Given the fairly long-running fatigue over dating as a whole, many users have seen this as a breach of their trust – although Bumble emphasised that it attempts to prevent block circumvention, such as users creating new accounts.