Facebook has officially released its dating service in the United States of America.
Last year, we shared with you the news that Facebook was developing its own dating features to help its users find love. While Facebook users have been using the site and app to meet singles for years now, the social media company started developing ways to help users along. At the time, many internet users laughed at the idea considering Facebook had been kneedeep in controversy over mismanaging the personal data of its users.
But Facebook strived on despite public ridicule and announced one of the features earlier this year titled “Secret Crush.” Secret Crush works like Tinder, it’s an optional feature that allows Facebook users to like their friends. Users will then only find out who liked them if there’s a match.
“Facebook Dating allows you to match with friends of friends and/or people not in your friend circle,” said a blog post from Nathan Sharp, head of the project.
“Facebook Dating won’t match you with friends, unless you choose to use Secret Crush and you both add each other to your list,” Sharp said.
“Finding a romantic partner is deeply personal, which is why we built Dating to be safe, inclusive and opt-in. Safety, security and privacy are at the forefront of this product.”
This dating sector of Facebook will also include many other features found on competing for dating apps. User will be able to report and block other users. In addition, Facebook is thinking ahead in that users can prohibit people from sending photos, links, payments, or videos to them unwarranted. This is an easy fix for the rising unsolicited dick pic problem, and on that other apps should be utilizing.
One other factor to keep in mind with the Facebook dating service is something Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared last year at the service’s announcement. The service was designed for “real, long-term relationships, not just hookups.” Of course, it’s the “not just” that should be noted here. As we’ve seen with many other dating apps, the people who use dating apps “just” for hookups often take over and reshape the atmosphere of said apps.
But perhaps Facebook has already seen how to correctly navigate these waters as Facebook Dating has already been launched in 19 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Surinam, Thailand, Uruguay and Vietnam.
With all of that experience already passed, Facebook may have a better handle on how to manage its dating service than we think. And now that the U.S. service is fully ago, the company can truly grasp how to provide a good dating service before branching out into Europe in 2020.
But now the question is, will anyone use it? Are any of you readers considering this Facebook Dating service? Or are you all laughing like many were just a year ago? Let us known down in the comments below.
Sources: Yahoo News
