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Bumble, the popular dating app, has agreed to pay $315,000 and change its business practices after the state charged it violated consumer protection and internet dating safety laws by misrepresenting its criminal background screening policies, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.
As part of the settlement, Bumble has agreed to disclose the company's criminal background screening policies on its dating website and app, to disclose whether those services allow people with criminal backgrounds to use the site and provide details and caveats regarding the background screenings, Platkin said.
New Jersey's Internet Dating Safety Act requires companies to tell Garden Staters looking for love exactly what they are doing – or not doing – to identify dangerous offenders and prevent them from accessing the online profiles, Platkin said.
Bumble had been under investigation since 2020, amid concerns of sexual assault occurring via dating platforms, Platkin said. An investigation revealed Bumble had historically screened some users against state and national sex offender registries despite claiming otherwise, Platkin said.
The dating app has 45 days to comply with the settlement, Platkin said.
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