The Platform Question: Power, Accountability and Global South The Platform Question: Power, Accountability and Global South CHAPTER 3 Platform Accountability in Online Dating: A Critical Analysis of Privacy, Discrimination and Safety Harms in India By Tavishi and Angelina Dash Introduction The expansion of online dating platforms in the Global South brought with it the promise of greater agency for users in societies where romantic desire and sexual autonomy are strictly policed.1 The last decade alone has witnessed a significant increase in the presence of dating platforms in India, including both global dating platforms like Tinder and Bumble,2 as well as homegrown dating platforms like Aisle and Quack Quack.3 Unfortunately, this expansion has been accompanied by user harms such as financial fraud,4 casteist abuse,5 and sexual harassment,6 especially targeting women and members of marginalised communities.7 It thus becomes imperative for dating platforms to provide meaningful accountability and effective design interventions towards creating safe, inclusive and equal spaces for online dating. In this essay, we focus on three interlinked categories of user risks: privacy violations, discriminatory practices, and safety threats; and we contextualise these risks to India’s unique socio-political and cultural context.8 We analyse these risks primarily through secondary literature, supplementing our findings with a case study on two understudied popular homegrown dating platforms,9 Aisle10 and Quack Quack.11 We conclude the essay by reiterating the need for greater accountability for dating platforms, briefly outlining recommendations for transparency in content moderation practices and algorithmic curation. 40 Platform Accountability in Online Dating Platform Accountability in Online Dating The expansion of online dating platforms in the Global South brought with it the promise of greater agency for users in societies where romantic desire and sexual autonomy are strictly policed. 41