A Texas lawmaker is teaming up with the creator of Bumble to tackle sexual harassment on dating apps.
A North Texas lawmaker is teaming up with the creator of Bumble, one the most popular dating apps in the world, to tackle sexual harassment on dating apps.
State Rep. Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas) drafted a bill that would make it a crime to send unsolicited nude or sexual pictures electronically.
"It is something which men and women are receiving unwanted [and] unsolicited lewd images and it is something we need to stop," Meyer said.
House Bill 2789 would make it a Class C misdemeanor to send "sexually explicit visual material" via text message, social media and online dating apps. The crime would be punishable by a fine of up to $500.
Meyer said it is illegal to expose yourself to someone on the street and should be illegal to do the same online.
"Something that is already a crime in the real world needs to be a crime online," Meyer said. "It is certainly a form of sexual harassment when these images are sent and therefore there needs to be a deterrent and by making it a crime I believe it will deter it."
Bumble founder and Southern Methodist University graduate, Wolfe Herd, testified before a House committee advocating for the bill.
