Women in Washington D.C. are taking matters into their own hands to obtain information on Capitol rioters.
After noticing an uptick in MAGA supporters on dating apps, women started wondering if the profiles could be useful to police.
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"There are DOZENS of men on DC dating apps right now who were clearly here for the insurrection attempt," Alia Awadallah tweeted. "Is that info useful at all for law enforcement?"
This is funny but actually serious. There are DOZENS of men on DC dating apps right now who were clearly here for the insurrection attempt yesterday. Some say it directly, others are obvious from MAGA clothing, location tags, etc. Is that info useful at all for law enforcement?
Awadallah's tweet has been liked over 2,500 times, and other women also said they had reported profiles that clearly participated in the riots.
One woman responded to Awadallah and said she knew a "friend of a friend" who changed her political affiliation on Bumble to deliberately try and find conservatives who took part in the Capitol riot.
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"She's matching with MAGA bros and they're bragging and sending her pics and videos of them in the Capitol. She's sending them to the FBI," Allison Norris said.
I know a friend of a friend who changed her preference on Bumble to Conservative. She’s matching with MAGA bros and they’re bragging and sending her pics and videos of them in the Capitol. She’s sending them to the FBI.
— Allison #FreeThemALL Norris (@allisonnorris) January 8, 2021
Awadallah updated her followers and said she was on hold with the FBI and police.
"Everyone get on the apps and start screenshooting," she told followers.
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I'm on hold with FBI and police. No idea if this will end up being useful but I feel like there's a good story there anyway, so everyone get on the apps and start screenshotting.
Not many people posted about how successful they were at trapping MAGA supporters, but plenty still supported the idea.
This is unbelievably awesome. I don't see why it wouldn't work the other way around. Lots of women in this mob too.
*orders MAGA hat, sets location to Phoenix, changes political views to conservative*
— "Mikal, are sure that's a good idea?" (@MikalJakubal) January 14, 2021
However, Bumble had previously started banning users who "encouraged any illegal activity." This includes users who were confirmed as rioters at the Capitol. Bumble did not elaborate on why it removed the filter but said it would be "reinstated in the future."
"Please rest assured that we prohibit any content that promotes terrorism or racial hatred, and we've already removed any users that have been confirmed as participants in the attach of the US Capitol," Bumble's support account tweeted.
We've temporarily removed our politics filter to prevent misuse. However, please rest assured that we prohibit any content that promotes terrorism or racial hatred, and we've already removed any users that have been confirmed as participants in the attack of the US Capitol.
The FBI has been looking for leads about the rioters who overtook the Capitol last week. The bureau even posted on its Twitter page encouraging anyone with information to leave a tip.
The FBI is seeking to identify individuals instigating violence in Washington, D.C. We are accepting tips and digital media depicting rioting or violence in and around the U.S. Capitol on January 6. If you have information, visit https://t.co/buMd8vYXzH.
A spokesperson for the Washington branch of the FBI told the Independentit received more than 100,000 "digital media tips" but could not comment on the nature of those tips.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Alia Awadallah.
Esther Bell is a writer for the Daily Dot. She recently graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism, and her work has appeared in Bustle and Teen Vogue.
