Contents
This is International Women’s Day, so let’s talk about safety.
March 8, 2025. Another International Women’s Day. Another round of speeches, hashtags, and corporate promises. However, not much has changed for millions of women using dating apps.
Harassment is still rampant. Unsolicited explicit messages keep flooding inboxes. And worst of all, the risk of real-world harm looms in the background of every interaction.
Dating apps were built to connect people. But something is broken when half of users report receiving inappropriate messages, and 40% abandon platforms.
Women aren’t asking for much. Just a dating experience where safety isn’t an afterthought.
If dating apps don’t fix this, they will lose their users. And if they do? They will rebuild trust, get people with real connections, and secure their future in a competitive market.
How safe are women on dating apps?
Online dating should be fun, exciting, and full of possibilities. But for many women, it’s anything but. Unsolicited explicit messages, harassment, and even real-world danger are pushing users away. A 2022 survey done by Ipsos MORI by Match Group found that 53% of female respondents felt uneasy using dating apps.
Nearly 75% of dating app users report experiencing some form of sexual violence, including harassment and stalking, according to the New York Post.
This isn’t just anecdotal.
Our research at Besedo found that more than 50% of dating app users have received inappropriate messages, a sign that moderation tools are falling short.
When trust erodes, so does user engagement. Nearly 40% of all users have abandoned a dating app because of bad experiences in chat.
Harassment on dating apps
We recently performed a survey of 2,000 dating app users in the USA with a 50/50 split between genders. We were particularly interested in learning more about the experiences within the chats. The statistics are damning.
Women have a much worse experience than men. Harassment and fraud affect everyone, but they don’t affect everyone equally.
When we break down harassment by gender:
- 78.6% of women reported experiencing some level of harassment.
- 66.7% of men reported the same.
- Women is significantly likely to experience harassment and more likely to report experiencing severe harassment (usually or always).
Unwanted messages and inappropriate content are the most common types of harassment.
That is 7 out of 10 users that at some point experience some form of harassment in chats on dating apps. Not great.
The industry must do better
Regulators are stepping in, demanding stronger protections. Australia introduced a mandatory code of conduct for dating apps after research showed that 75% of users experienced sexual violence on these platforms (AP News).
In the UK, Ofcom is pushing tech companies to do more to protect women from online harm. The message is clear: safety isn’t optional.
No woman should fear expressing herself online or face the trauma of deepfake image abuse.
Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Ofcom.
Some dating apps are listening. Bumble’s ‘Private Detector’ AI automatically blurs explicit images before they reach users. And more recently Match enlisted AI to nudge men into better behaviour on dating apps. It’s a start.
But the problem isn’t going away. Bad actors evolve. Moderation must, too.
What can we do about It?
At Besedo, we have spent years helping platforms build safer digital spaces. Our AI-driven moderation, combined with expert human review, helps stop harmful content before it reaches users.
We filter out inappropriate messages, detect threats, and ensure dating apps foster real connections, not risk.
As International Women’s Day 2025 approaches, it’s time for action. Women shouldn’t have to choose between finding connection and feeling safe. Platforms prioritizing user protection will win trust, retain users, and make online dating what it should be: a place for meaningful connections, not fear.
Ahem… tap, tap… is this thing on? 🎙️
We’re Besedo and we provide content moderation tools and services to companies all over the world. Often behind the scenes.
Want to learn more? Check out our homepage and use cases.
And above all, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or want a demo.
More on dating
See allAll blog posts
Report: How Dating App Chats Are Driving Users Away
Dating app users are frustrated with in-app messaging. Our survey reveals why people are ghosting. Not just matches, but the apps themselves
Welcome to the Age of Fake Dating Profiles
Do right by your users on your dating app and protect them from fake profiles, scams, and harassment. There are ways to do this smart and without feeling that you’re playing a game of whack-a-mole.
3 Tips on How to Deal With Hate Speech on Dating Sites
Take a stance again hate speech, bigotry, and other issues within your dating site. Here are 3 content moderation you can use!
Share this article
