{"id":9988,"date":"2026-10-15T19:14:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T19:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/?p=9988"},"modified":"2026-10-15T19:15:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T19:15:04","slug":"cant-we-all-get-the-same-protections-on-bumble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/?p=9988","title":{"rendered":"CAN\u2019T WE ALL GET THE SAME PROTECTIONS ON BUMBLE?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"9988\" class=\"elementor elementor-9988\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11e80ae e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"11e80ae\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c60fb1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2c60fb1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\" id=\"m_-1666166753950658739gmail-docs-internal-guid-8e19abbb-7fff-b694-01f9-991b7f814852\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Canadian nonprofit challenges inconsistent dating-app verification policies after researchers find ID verified badges on 12.5% of profiles in unfiltered Bumble browsing.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">CANADA \u2014 October 15, 2026<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"> \u2014 If requiring government identification helps keep online dating communities safe, why is that safeguard mandatory in some countries but optional in others?<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">That&#8217;s the question being raised by DEFEND, a Canadian nonprofit whose wholly owned technology company, 65square, developed Dating Square, an all verified 3D blind dating system for adults-only. The system has mandatory NFC passport verification for all users.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Bumble&#8217;s own published support documentation confirms that ID verification is required when creating an account in Japan.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">This is to help keep you and others in the community safe<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201d a popup notification explains when prompting for ID verification inside Bumble, when a user is geo-located in Japan. Outside Japan, ID verification is optional. DEFEND believes this disparity deserves international scrutiny.<\/span><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Research finds relatively few ID-verified profiles<\/span><\/h3><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Researchers working with DEFEND examined 2,253 profiles displayed during unfiltered Bumble browsing across three groups.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Of those observations, 281 profiles displayed an ID-verification badge.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Only 12.5% of the observed profiles were identified as government-ID verified.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">The findings varied modestly among the groups:<\/span><\/p><ul style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px\"><li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Profiles of women: 124 of 988 (12.6%).<\/span><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Profiles of bisexual women: 100 of 846 (11.8%).<\/span><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt\" role=\"presentation\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Profiles of men: 57 of 419 (13.6%).<\/span><\/p><\/li><\/ul><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">The remaining profiles displayed either photo-verification badges or no verification badge recorded by the researchers.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Importantly, the research used browsing without a verification filter to establish a baseline of what users encountered.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Nevertheless, the findings raise a significant question about the practical consequences of leaving government-ID verification optional.<\/span><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Verification isn&#8217;t just about identifying someone<\/span><\/h3><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">DEFEND argues that the most important potential benefit of mandatory identity verification is not simply proving who someone is.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">It&#8217;s changing how people behave when they know their actions can carry consequences.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">An individual who believes they can easily abandon an account and create another may face fewer perceived consequences for harassment, threats, deception or other misconduct.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">But when an account is connected to an established identity, serious disciplinary action can potentially follow the individual rather than merely the username.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">A person permanently removed for serious violations should not be able to regain access simply by changing their email address, telephone number or device.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">DEFEND believes such accountability could encourage more responsible behaviour from the beginning.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">That potential behavioural effect remains a hypothesis requiring further research<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201d, Kristy Fredrick, Head of Research at DEFEND says, \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">&#8230;but it raises questions worth examining across the online dating industry.<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201d<\/span><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Japan demonstrates a different standard<\/span><\/h3><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">DEFEND is questioning why mandatory verification is not adopted more widely, especially when the dating industry already recognizes its safety benefits.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">The consequences of weak identity safeguards extend far beyond fake dating profiles. There were <\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">140,011 reports of suspected child sexual abuse on adult dating apps in 2025. <\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Meanwhile, the FBI says there was almost a billion dollars lost<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"> <\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">from <\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">confidence and romance scams in 2025<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201d Frederick says.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">These figures highlight two serious problems confronting online platforms: the exploitation of vulnerable people and the financial devastation caused by fraud. DEFEND argues that mandatory identity verification could help address both by creating stronger accountability, discouraging misconduct and making it harder for banned offenders to return under new accounts. The organization questions why safeguards justified as necessary in one country should remain optional elsewhere.<\/span><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">A different approach at Dating Square<\/span><\/h3><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">DEFEND and 65square developed Dating Square around mandatory NFC passport verification.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">The company believes that ID verification and effective moderation can help discourage misconduct and make repeat violations almost extinct.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">We have a little more than 600 accounts created in the last year and there have been zero reports of CSA or fraud on Dating Square<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201d Frederick says.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Dating Square also combines blind matching, 3D social activities and subscription-funded access intended to encourage more meaningful interactions.<\/span><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt\"><span style=\"font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Almost 20% of dating apps don\u2019t allow a child to put their actual age<\/span><\/h3><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Mandatory verification introduces serious questions about privacy, data security, accessibility and the consequences of incorrect enforcement decisions.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Dating Square does not take a picture of someone\u2019s passport. It extracts only someone\u2019s name and limited information directly from the NFC chip in the passport. The user does not input their age unlike other platforms. Our researchers have even discovered that nearly 20% of adult dating apps don&#8217;t allow input of an age under 18, meaning that kids can be forced to join and appear as adults.<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">DEFEND believes platforms adopting mandatory verification must be held accountable for protecting that information and offering fair procedures to challenge incorrect restrictions.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Greater accountability for users must be matched by greater accountability for the platforms themselves.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">The organization believes online safety should not depend solely on whether local governments compel technology companies to adopt stronger requirements.<\/span><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:14pt;margin-bottom:4pt\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">About DEFEND and 65square<\/span><\/h3><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">DEFEND is a Canadian nonprofit working to reduce online risks for children and vulnerable people through education, advocacy and technology development.<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Media inquiries and research information<\/span><\/p><p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">DEFEND \/ 65square<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"><br><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"><a href=\"mailto:info@helpusdefend.com\" target=\"_blank\">info@helpusdefend.com<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"><br><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\" style=\"text-decoration:none\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/helpusdefend.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1792177232149000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Lbt6qk46hzIcHGB-kI8bM\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">https:\/\/helpusdefend.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Canadian nonprofit challenges inconsistent dating-app verification policies after researchers find ID verified badges on 12.5% of profiles in unfiltered Bumble browsing. CANADA \u2014<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_social_preview_title":"","wp_social_preview_description":"","wp_social_preview_image":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-online-safety"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9988"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9992,"href":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9988\/revisions\/9992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpusdefend.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}