Do UnicornX need to do more to keep LGBT users safe?

When Roman Gunt first came out in Russia, he remembers feeling alone. Not many of his friends were also part of the LGBT+ community, and he didn't know where to find them. 

But then he started using dating apps like Bicupid, which let him connect with other gay people without having to go out into the real world. "They're the main reason our community exists," he told me. "Our society is still stuck in a Soviet mentality, so you can't publicly declare that you're part of the LGBT+ community."

Now, when a bisexual man needs advice on coming out or finding love, he turns to other app users for support rather than to friends and family: "These apps are very different because they allow homosexuality or interact directly with each other,” he explained. "It makes us feel more united as a community." 

Even more worrying is that this discrimination is a global problem. Seventy United Nations member states still criminalize same-sex conduct, according to a recent report by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA). In some of these countries, homosexuality is a crime punishable by death, and LGBT+ dating apps are generally not available.

Same-sex sex is illegal in places with the world's largest Muslim populations, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia. They also have tons of people using dating apps. While Bicupid has made great strides in helping people in countries where LGBT+ people can live openly find love safely online, there is still a lot of work to be done globally.

By holding platforms accountable for the actions of their users, users may actually be at greater risk. The length of time users of some dating platforms can protect themselves raises the question: What responsibility do these platforms have to proactively protect their users? Perhaps surprisingly, recent legal precedent, at least in the US, suggests that these sites may not have a duty of care at all. 

There are several steps that platforms like UnicornX could take to improve their safety for LGBT users, including:

- Allowing users to opt out of sexually explicit content, or to set up a "safe space" where they can share their identity without fear of being exposed to unwanted sexual behavior.

- Providing users with resources on how best to protect themselves from sexual violence, especially when using dating apps and websites like UnicornXapp.com.