Recording summary · May 2023
How i got BANNED on every Dating App
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Overview
Daniel received permanent bans across dating apps including Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge after posting an explicit picture of his genitalia on Tinder and sending rude messages, causing emotional distress given his self-described social anxiety and reliance on platforms to meet women.
Daniel researched bypass techniques involving new devices, phone numbers, ProtonMail accounts, and cloaking software to disrupt facial recognition, which temporarily kept profiles active enough to secure dates and meet a partner before bans resumed.
Daniel criticized Match Group's market dominance, shared database bans, and the permanent nature of platform blacklists, arguing for redemption opportunities.
Themes
Match Group's market reach, platform control, and shared database bans across multiple dating applications.
Technical requirements and methods to circumvent dating app bans, including devices, email services, and facial recognition cloaking.
Daniel's personal reactions, self-described social anxiety, and objections to lifetime bans without opportunities for redemption.
Developments
Daniel uploaded an explicit photograph of his genitalia as his Tinder profile picture and messaged his match list.
Tinder permanently banned Daniel's account within an hour of the image upload.
Daniel found his accounts on Hinge and Bumble were also banned simultaneously.
Daniel created ProtonMail email addresses and tested methods concealing face photos to avoid immediate bans.
Daniel applied cloaking software that modifies image pixels, temporarily keeping accounts active on Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble to secure dates and meet a partner before being banned again.
Uncertainties & gaps
Whether factory resetting a device completely removes it from Tinder's banned device tracking database.
Whether Bumble and Tinder coordinate bans through shared databases or formal agreements despite having different ownership.
Whether the dating applications were actively using facial recognition technology to identify and ban accounts.
The precise title of the image alteration software, recalled as something like Guy Fawkes Cloaking.