Ghosting, endless talking stages and dating-app burnout have become familiar complaints among singles. But for many black people using dating apps, there is an additional hurdle: navigating racism and bias while trying to form genuine connections.
It is an experience that dating app BLK says is driving some users away from online dating altogether. A recent survey commissioned by the platform found that 57 per cent of black British singles had experienced racism or bias on mainstream dating apps, while many reported feeling exhausted by having to explain or defend aspects of their identity. Launched in the US by Match Group, the parent company behind Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid, BLK has amassed more than 13 million downloads and expanded to the UK earlier this year, positioning itself as a space designed specifically for black singles.
Amber Cooper, Head of Brand at BLK, says there was a need for their existence as the community was not specifically catered for on other apps.
Amber Cooper is Head of Brand at BLK (Photo: BLK)
“Black people, specifically black women, are often not favoured in the general population app, so they get fewer engagements, swipes, and matches. Putting yourself out there only to feel invisible or hyper-scrutinised because of your race is exhausting,” says Cooper, who is African American. “Mainstream algorithms and user biases weren’t built with black women’s joy in mind, and that puts us at a constant disadvantage. What needs to change is a baseline of cultural respect. Until those spaces fix that friction, we’re building a sanctuary at BLK where black women are seen, celebrated and chosen first.”
