By Elton Gomes
Cupid has a new address—Facebook’s app. During the F8 conference, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company will be entering the online dating scene. Facebook’s dating features will be incorporated within its app, and will use your information to find you potential matches, The Next Web reported.
Facebook’s foray into online dating could be an attempt to regain users’s trust, in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Zuckerberg admitted that he had not done enough to secure the personal data of thousands of Facebook’s users.
At the F8 conference, Zuckerberg clarified that the new dating feature will be for “real, long-term relationships, not just hook-ups.” He also mentioned that his favourite stories are of people meeting on Facebook, and ending up spending their life together.
By introducing dating features in its app, Facebook has taken on Tinder, OkCupid, and other dating sites. Featured Image Credit(s): https://pixabay.com/en/twitter-facebook-together-292994/Here’s what happened
Right off the bat, the good news is that your dating profile will be separate from your main Facebook profile. Friends on your list also won’t be able to view your dating profile, the Next Web reported.
Most importantly, Facebook’s dating service is for non-friends, which means that you will never be suggested to look at the profiles of people who are on your friends list. The Quint cited developers from Facebook, and reported that a user’s dating profile will only have four pictures of the user. According to the Indian Express, Facebook will use an algorithm to suggest potential matches that will be based on preferences, mutual friends, and common likes.
“You need to scout through different events and groups near your area based on which you are recommended people who are going to the same event,” the Quint reported.
Users will be able to find potential dates via shared groups and events. Facebook’s chief product officer, Chris Cox, said, “by unlocking an event, users can see people who are going to the same event and have activated the ‘Dating’ profile feature,” as the Indian Express reported. Users will then be able to see who is attending the event and be able to browse their dating profiles.
According to the report by the Quint, you can only start conversing with someone if you “like a picture in one of the user’s profiles recommended to you.” You can also leave comments. Once this is done, the person whose picture you liked, gets a notification. If the person is interested, they can respond to you in a private message box connected to the profile. Further interactions can be carried out in the same message box.
To ensure security in chats, “Facebook has made sure that this message box isn’t connected to WhatsApp or FB messenger in any way,” the Quint reported.
Why you should care
Facebook’s foray into the online dating world might be a big hit with millennials, given the influence the company enjoys. Meanwhile, just hours after Facebook made the announcement, online dating firm Match saw a drop in its shares. The development paints quite a picture about how Facebook’s dating feature could affect its competitors in the near future.
Facebook appears to be taking rapid steps to effictively reinvent its image. By introducing the “clear history” button, and online dating features, the company seems to have tapped into the novelty factor. However, the dating service, even before its official launch is already facing scrutiny.
However, with Instagram and WhatsApp already under its belt, Facebook’s dating feature may just significantly boost its online presence and help the social media giant dominate the internet once again.
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