The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Facebook Dating aims to improve your love life
Facebook Dating, a matchmaking service the company already offers in Brazil, Canada and 17 other countries, arrived Thursday in the U.S. But after years of privacy missteps by the social network, will people trust the technology with their love lives?
What’s different?
Facebook Dating is a mobileonly service that’s free to use and free of ads. Although many features resemble what other matchmaking services offer, Facebook’s version promises to be different. Your Facebook Dating profile will be separate from your main one, but it will tap existing features such as events and groups, as well as your network of friends to identify “secret crushes.”
Privacy concerns
Industry watchers say that it may only be a matter of time before private customer data like dating preferences is compromised, but Facebook says that won’t happen. Despite the company’s multiple stumbles over protecting people’s private information and a record $5 billion fine this summer by the Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations, Facebook insists it won’t use information gleaned from your dating profiles for advertising.
“A feature on Facebook that people don’t trust isn’t going to be successful,” said Rob Sherman, the company’s deputy chief privacy officer. “We built in privacy from the ground up.”
How it works
With Facebook, you start by creating a dating profile distinct from your Facebook profile. You can add up to 36 pictures from your Instagram account. You have to be at least 18, rather than 13 with the main Facebook service. When you see a suggested match, you “like” someone by tapping a heart icon, or tap “X” to dislike. Facebook Dating won’t suggest your friends as people you might want to date. Your dating profile also won’t show up on your news feed or be visible to friends; it’s only for others using the dating service.