Facebook tries for romance by algorithm
Among the professions lost to digital disruption is the discreet matchmaker. Emma Woodhouse, Jane Austen s handsome, clever and rich leading lady, has been usurped by Tinder, Bumble and Grindr. Now comes a new threat in the form of Facebook.
The data-hungry colossus recently launched a dating service in the US after a test run in about 20 non-European countries. Facebook’s original promise was to connect the world. Promoting romance looks a logical step for a company short on love. That does not mean it will be good for society.
Facebook seems to be positioning Dating as a more sophisticated and discerning way of finding a partner than more direct rivals such as Tinder. Would-be wooers set up a separate profile from their main account. Rather than swiping left and right on potential partners, they instead tap to see others’ profiles and have to leave a comment if they want to signal their interest.
This more thoughtful approach may pay off, given that Facebook’s user base is growing older: younger generations are migrating to trendier platforms such as Instagram or Snapchat. The service’s primary selling point, however, will be its direct access to data from users’ main accounts. Users can add groups and events they are attending to their profile to search for other singles with mutual interests.
While by default users’ friends do not appear on Facebook Dating, a “Secret Crush” option allows them to add up to nine friends to a secret list, who are only informed if they have done the same.
Caveat sweetheart. Those in search of love should be wary about protecting their data. CEO Mark Zuckerberg may have promised that “the future is private” in April, but his
company’s record on data sharing with questionable third parties is hardly stellar.
Personal details about relationships, potentially tied to the treasure trove of metadata from the combined FacebookWhatsApp-Instagram messenger, will interest hackers and marketers alike. Given the sensitivity of personal information such as sexuality, extremely careful handling is necessary to avoid accidentally causing harm to users.
Facebook Dating’s arrival in the US should also spark concerns about competition. Facebook currently allows other dating services to access some limited data such as photos. Its own dating service, however, could delve into the full information trove that Facebook holds. If Dating succeeds, it would finally be possible for consumers to live their entire digital life on services owned by a single company.
They could meet someone on Dating, chat on WhatsApp and then, if things get serious, post pictures of their romance to Instagram and Facebook (paid for with Libracoin, if regulators approve it). All that data would further entrench Facebook’s market power.
Beyond that, there is the human factor. Facebook Dating is a world away from the chance and mystery of true romance. The company may argue that its unique strength is that it knows more about users than its competitors.
In practice, a system that suggests who to date based on what users have posted, joined or liked seems anathema to spontaneity. It looks more like “marriage by algorithm”.
Facebook’s apps have proven extraordinarily addictive. The company has more than 2-billion users on the planet, despite the spate of scandals. Nevertheless, lonely hearts will have to ponder if Mr Zuckerberg is the Eros they want. /©