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An Official Response to a Long-Standing Issue

After numerous warnings over the years from community organizations about the rise of homophobic ambushes, the authorities are now taking action. Previously, dating apps were often criticized for their inaction despite frequent media reports of such incidents. To combat these crimes, the Interministerial Delegation for the Fight Against Racism, Anti-Semitism, and Anti-LGBT Hate (DILCRAH), affiliated with the Ministry of Equality, has brought together LGBTQI+ associations and several platforms to create a charter with a shared action plan.

Major Platforms Commit to Change

Grindr, Tinder, Happn, and Bumble are among the platforms that have agreed to sign the document. Through this charter, these platforms promise to better inform their users, simplify the reporting of potentially dangerous profiles, encourage account verification, and enhance their cooperation with law enforcement. “This unprecedented violence must end, and we must do everything possible to address the issue,” insists Aurore Bergé, the Minister for Discrimination Prevention.

Prevention: Increasing Awareness for Better Protection

Information is seen as the primary tool in fighting ambushes. Thus, dating apps commit to providing safety advice as soon as a user opens an account, with these messages reiterated throughout the users’ interaction with the platform. They also aim to further tailor these messages to situations detected through automated analyses capable of alerting users to suspicious interactions. Additionally, platforms vow to enhance their human and technological moderation tools to handle reports and to identify, using pre-defined keywords in conjunction with associations, any violent, discriminatory, or threatening behavior.

Verification: Enhancing User Control without Mandatory Measures

The action plan also focuses on improved identity verification for users. The state encourages platforms to develop verification systems through methods like selfies, biometrics, or ID. However, given the importance of anonymity for many dating app users, this verification is to be optional rather than mandatory. Users can choose to filter profiles based on whether they are verified. “The goal is not to limit the freedom to use these platforms,” clarifies Minister Aurore Bergé, “but to ensure this freedom is exercised safely.”

Reporting: Specialized Tools against Violence Risks

The charter includes a dedicated section for reporting threatening or suspicious profiles. A specific reporting category will be established for risks of violence and ambushes. The signatories commit to using this framework to track the number of reports and better assess the scale of the problem.

Preventing Recidivism and Restricting Platform Access

When a user is reported for such behavior, the primary goal is to ensure their exclusion is effective. In cases of repeated reports, platforms may use personal details such as names, devices, emails, phone numbers, or IP addresses to monitor these profiles and prevent immediate account recreation after suspension. The state also suggests extending bans across all services within a company, where technically and legally feasible, and encourages a collective effort to prevent a banned user from simply switching to another platform.

Cooperation: Enhancing Collaboration with Justice and Investigators

Authorities believe prevention alone cannot eliminate these attacks. Therefore, the platforms signing the charter are committed to improving their cooperation with judicial authorities in cases of homophobic ambushes. Investigators and magistrates have highlighted significant communication challenges with platforms, hampering access to necessary evidence for judicial proceedings. The charter outlines the establishment of a “contact point” for authorities to directly submit requests. Platforms also promise to provide relevant information for investigations, including exchanges that could offer critical insights. “Perpetrators must understand that victims report these crimes, they’re frequently arrested, and the penalties are severe,” emphasizes the minister. This cooperative framework is envisioned as a model, urging other apps to join the initiative and encouraging authorities to extend such efforts to other preventative challenges.

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