# Dating apps test screenshot blocks as dunking culture grows

> Hinge is testing screenshot protection in India as creators build audiences mocking dating profiles, sparking debate over privacy, safety and online shame.
- Title: Dating apps test screenshot blocks as dunking culture grows
- Summary: Hinge is testing screenshot protection in India as creators build audiences mocking dating profiles, sparking debate over privacy, safety and online shame.
- Keywords: hinge, dating apps, screenshot protection, social media, privacy, online harassment, tiktok, content creation, Dating, apps, test, screenshot
- Source: WIRED — https://wired.com/story/dunking-on-dating-app-profiles-is-content-gold-people-are-getting-sick-of-it
- Author: Jason Parham
- Published: 2026-10-09T11:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: hinge, dating apps, screenshot protection, social media, privacy, online harassment, tiktok, content creation
## Dating coach shares client conversations
Chad Franklin, a dating coach with five hundred twelve thousand TikTok followers, posts private client communications under the alias DefundSimping. His clients pay upwards of five thousand dollars for his services.
## Franklin's content mocks dating interactions
In September, Franklin shared a direct message where a woman implied she couldn't afford an Uber with the overlay Don't date POOR women!!!. He also posted a successful Hinge text exchange about flirting over margaritas.

> Don't date POOR women!!!
## Creators built brands on dating app mockery
TikTokers, X accounts like HingeStrange, and other online creators have built entire brands screenshotting and sharing bizarre dating profile prompts, cringe pickup lines, or red flags found while swiping.
## Hinge tests screenshot protection in India
Hinge announced it is testing screenshot protection in India. The feature will block screenshots on surfaces containing personally identifiable profile information, including Discover, Likes You, and Standouts.
## Critics see dunking as public humiliation
Critics argue that screenshotting and sharing dating profiles is a form of public humiliation. Writer Tres Dean called it an ethical development in online dating, while others noted the trend reflects entitlement to others' data.

> People on here kinda turned being on a dating app into both an extension of the panopticon and a window into their own personal penchant for cruelty.
## Screenshots serve women's safety needs
Communications researcher Lizzie Li notes that screenshots help women document inappropriate behavior and vet potential suitors with friends. Communities like Are We Dating the Same Guy? grew partly from women sharing screenshots for safety.

> Privacy's in tension with safety. Screenshots can document inappropriate behavior or allow someone to check in with a friend before meeting a stranger.
## Hinge balances privacy and safety concerns
Hinge says screenshot protection, along with Comment Filter and Did This Bother You?, helps daters control how personal details are shared. Users can still screenshot messages to report accounts for safety concerns.
## Franklin rejects platform responsibility
Franklin argues dating apps have no duty to protect users from becoming public content. He says if you enter the dragon's den, you may get bit by the dragon, and suggests avoiding dating apps entirely.

> If you enter the dragon's den, you may get bit by the dragon.
## No US rollout planned yet
Hinge confirms the India pilot is part of an initiative to help singles build trust.
## Key takeaway

Hinge is testing screenshot protection in India to combat a trend of creators sharing dating profiles for mockery, balancing privacy concerns against women's safety needs.