THE OBSERVER – Bumble has weakened its long-standing “women message first” rule after facing more than 20K legal threats and a lawsuit from men’s-rights activists who argue the feature discriminates against men. The change comes during a difficult period for the company: its share price has fallen ~90% since 2021, user numbers are dropping, and Bumble has carried out two rounds of layoffs of ~30% each. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd has returned as CEO and ordered a full rebuild of the app, but former staff say the company is drifting away from the women-first identity it was built on. The key lawsuit, led by activist lawyer Alfred Rava, remains ongoing, adding further pressure as Bumble struggles to compete with faster-growing rivals like Hinge.
See full article at The Observer