- Tinder users say they're being banned from the app for encouraging others to donate to Black Lives Matter causes and organizations supporting police brutality protesters.
- Users are saying on Twitter their accounts were banned after sending out links to BLM petitions, changing their bios to include messages in support of BLM, and offering to exchange nudes for donations to BLM causes.
- Tinder did not respond to a request for comment, but told BuzzFeed News that the company would stop banning users from using the app to fundraise for these causes.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Tinder users are reportedly being banned from the app after updating their profiles and sending out messages in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and police brutality protesters.
Dozens of people have taken to social media to say they noticed their Tinder accounts had been banned after they took action to promote Black Lives Matter. BuzzFeed News first reported that users were banned after encouraging matches to donate to related causes, but others users are saying Tinder had issued bans after they updated their bios to voice support for Black Lives Matter.
One Tinder user, who requested anonymity, told Business Insider she was banned after adding "Honorary mention to everyone destroying the relics of colonist and slavery pasts. You're doing amazing sweetie" to her bio.
"It is only when I erased the status regarding Black lives and wrote a formal complaint that my account was restored," the Tinder user told Business Insider.
Users have also used Tinder to disseminate petitions, encourage matches to donate, share links to fundraising campaigns, show support for police brutality protesters, and promise nudes in exchange for donations to BLM organizations.
Tweet Embed://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1267739019556777984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
dude I got perma banned on tinder for putting black lives matter in my bio... lmao byeTweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1270091693421985793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
i got banned from tinder for asking guys to donate to my donor drive :///Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1269092194939473920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Wow 😕 got this message from @Tinder after I added black lives matter to my bio. pic.twitter.com/budGb4iMEwTweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1269939726825422848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Not when you BAN me for spreading the petition links around for BLM
In a statement provided to BuzzFeed News on Sunday, a Tinder spokesperson said the app would stop banning users for fundraising efforts related to Black Lives Matter. However, the statement did not address why action was being taken against users advocating for Black Lives Matter.
Tinder did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Some of the affected users told Business Insider they're still struggling to get their accounts reinstated.
Tinder's community guidelines include a ban on using the app for "promotion or solicitation," although the policies state that "it's fine to invite your matches to something that you're doing" as long as the purpose of the account isn't solely for advertising.
Social media has become a key tool in recent weeks for fundraising in the wake of George Floyd's death and the nationwide protests against police brutality that have ensued. Millions of dollars have been donated to the Black Lives Matter movement, bail funds for protesters, memorial funds for victims of police shootings, and fundraisers for Black and trans inmates.
Tinder posted a statement on Twitter on May 31 in support of its Black users, employees and the Black community, and said the company would be donating to Black Lives Matter "to support their activism." Tinder did not specify how much it would be contributing to the cause.
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