Role-Based Social Network Controlling What Each Connection Can See and Do

This patent describes a social network built around roles, so that the connection between two people is defined by the role each holds rather than a single generic “friend” link. It comes from a holding company associated with Bumble), the company behind the well-known dating and connection apps.

The Problem

Most social platforms treat connections as more or less the same: once two users are linked, they generally see and can do the same things with one another. Real relationships are not like that. The way a person wants to present themselves, and what they are willing to share, can differ sharply depending on whether the other person is a potential date, a business contact, a friend or a family member. Handling these different contexts usually means keeping separate accounts or constantly adjusting privacy settings, which is clumsy and easy to get wrong. There is a need for a platform that understands relationships in terms of roles and controls access accordingly.

What This Invention Does

The patent sets out a social network in which users interact through defined roles, and the platform uses those roles to govern what information and capabilities are available within each connection. A given user can hold different roles toward different connections, and the access control tied to each role determines what the other party can see and do. By making the role the organising unit, the system lets one account behave appropriately across different social contexts, presenting the right profile information and permissions for a dating connection, a professional contact or another relationship type without the user having to manage separate identities.

Key Features

• Role-defined connections. Each link between users is shaped by the role each person holds.
• Context-aware access. What a connection can see and do is set by role-based permissions.
• Multiple roles per user. One account can hold different roles toward different people.
• Selective sharing. Profile information is exposed according to the relevant role.
• Privacy by design. Access control is built into how connections are structured.

Who Is Behind It

The applicant is Bumble IP Holdco LLC), an intellectual property entity associated with Bumble, the social connection company known for its dating and networking apps. The named inventors are Ronen Benchetrit and Tariq Masud Shaukat.

Why It Matters

As people use a single app for dating, friendship and professional networking, the limits of one-size-fits-all connections become more obvious. A role-based model gives users finer control over their digital boundaries and lets a platform tailor the experience to each relationship, which matters for both privacy and usefulness. Protecting the approach in Australia supports the company’s product strategy in a large and active local social-app market.

Related Concepts

• Social networking service – the type of platform this patent reimagines.
• Access control – the mechanism that enforces what each role can do.
• Internet privacy – the user concern the role model addresses.
• Online dating service – a core context for the applicant’s products.
• Role-based access control – the established security concept echoed here for social connections.

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AU 2026201920 was published in the Australian Official Journal of Patents on 2 April 2026 and is open for public inspection. Patent applications represent inventions that are sought to be protected and do not necessarily reflect commercially available products.