Facebook’s new dating app feature is something people have never asked for. Facebook the multinational conglomerate founded by Mark Zukerberg has come up with many new features like the Facebook news, streaming service, games feed, etc but they all seem very pointless to the users.
The only thing users really asked facebook to do was to stop exploiting their private data and use that data to target ads. Users wanted Facebook to completely leave their private data.
One more feature that Facebook has launched to attract more users is the Facebook Dating feature. This is a great way to attract teens and adults to their platform again who have long left the platform.
This feature will be an in-app feature and initially, it was launched only in America. But now this feature has been made available for 19 more countries outside America within the span of one year.
This feature is not yet made available for India.
This feature was launched in America on September 5, 2019, and after a long time was launched in Europe in October 2020. Facebook dating is available in selective countries on iOS and Android devices. Enabling and accessing this service is relatively easy as you only need a Facebook account.
Users since its launch have been second-guessing the feature. Many have questions like “Why does this feature exist in the first place?” “And “What type of people are using it?”, “Who is genuine, who is fake, how is Facebook going to distinguish it?” “Is it safe?”. These are certain questions the users have.
One very important question that most people might have is, “Who is actually using this feature or plans to use it in the future?” To answer this question Kayla Kibbie the writer and editor of Insidehook actually tried this feature by setting up a profile on the feature’s launch date. Surprisingly her profile did get some matches which explicitly tells us that people are using the platform.
One reason why Facebook Dating can be an awesome place to find matches is that over here Facebook would use your already stored data to target matches towards you. So whatever you have been posting over the years and feeding the giants data storage will be used against you to bring you the perfect match. Facebook will try to suggest people who have the same hobbies, interests and go to similar events, have a similar profession, etc. Therefore the matches that Facebook brings you will be quite authentic matches rather than the swiping dating apps that we have today.
This feature does seem quite shady to me. This might be another way through which Facebook wants to access your personal data by getting to know more about you like your preferences in the other gender, your dating style, etc. This can be why Facebook wants to have more of your private data through this feature.
Some key points for people who wish to use this feature-
- Your dating profile will be kept separate from your original Facebook profile so your friends, the family will not know that you are online dating.
- Facebook will design you a dating profile from your existing profile and the information you have on your feed. You can change this profile or ho with the one Facebook has designed for you.
- You cannot change your name or your age.
