Dating app Bumble is attempting to remove a series of advertisements claiming celibacy is not the answer to women’s dating problems after it was announced on social media.
The billboards, which featured messages such as “You know full well celibacy is not the answer,” among other things, sparked outrage online from those who believed the messages rejected women’s autonomy.
Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe Herd launched Bumble in 2014 as a dating app aimed primarily at women, but many social media users said the anti-celibacy campaign went against its principles.
On Sunday, scores of online comments criticized the company, including Instagram post for Mother’s Daywhere users promoted celibacy and shunned the company due to what they perceived as a campaign that commodified women and their affections.
“[S]”Stay away from companies that try to ridicule women for their personal choices when they don’t benefit them,” one commenter wrote.
On TikTok, several videos calling out the company and asking women to delete their accounts have received hundreds of thousands of likes. Actress Julia Fox commented on one viral post saying: “2.5 years of celibacy and it’s never been better to be honest.”
One TikTok influencer, The Windwitch, said in a post on Sunday that even the photos used in the ad were offensive.
“Bumble, we are not your product to sell,” she wrote in the post.
On Instagram mail On Monday, Bumble said it would remove the ads and make donations to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and other organizations that support women. It will replace advertising with advertising for the hotline and other organizations.
“Our celibacy-themed advertising was an attempt to appeal to a community frustrated by modern dating, and rather than bringing joy and humor, we inadvertently did the opposite,” the company said in a statement.
In the past few years, the concept of celibacy has become more popular among predominantly heterosexual women who are frustrated by levels of violence, traditional gender norms and men in their dating circles. Supporters of the 4B feminist movement are gaining momentum in South Korea starting from 2019 giving up men, marriage, sex with men and having children.
Last week, Bumble reported better-than-expected first-quarter revenue of $267.8 million, up 10.2% year over year. Downloads of the app also jumped about 18% in the first quarter from a year earlier, Reuters reported. reportedciting data from analytics company Sensor Tower.
However, Bumble shares have fallen 20% since January and the company has increased its focus on attracting Gen Z users to its platform. The company disclosed new logo and an update to the app last week to try to rejuvenate its image before running into an anti-celibacy campaign.
The company’s shares fell 4.5% in intraday trading before rebounding. Bumble shares were unchanged as of Monday’s market close.