Long rumoured dating platform on Facebook is launching in the U.S.A with plans to roll out in 20 other markets before the end of the year.
Apart from the U.S.A, Facebook dating is launching in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Suriname, Thailand, Uruguay and Vietnam.
A launch in Europe and other markets is promised to be live by early 2020.
Facebook’s new dating product comes on the heels of the recent fine by US authorities due to privacy concerns while also other markets grow weary to the ability of the social media platform to manipulate feelings and emotions of users and push for the voting of characters like Donald Trump into office.
Facebook Dating is launching in the U.S. with a promise to leverage the company’s deep insight into people’s personal data as well as deliver better matches than rival dating apps like Tinder, AfroIntroductions, Match among others.
With the launch, Facebook Dating will allow users to integrate their Instagram posts and followers in their social media dating profile. They will also be able to add Instagram followers to their “Secret Crush” list, in addition to Facebook friends.
Eventually, Facebook Dating users will have the ability to select which Facebook or Instagram Stories they want to add on to their dating profile.
Users will be watching how the data on the new offering will be handled by Facebook which has not been known to handle data well. The giant social media platform was in the news recently for allowing companies like Cambridge Analytica to mine data from the platform and misuse it in many instances globally.
One such misuse occurred in Kenya where the data firm colluded with one of the aspirants to prey on users and manipulate their voting patterns.
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Facebook Dating was first announced at the F8 Developer conference in 2018.
Social media giant Facebook is trying to build a 360 degrees connected world with no aspect left to chance. Already the social media platform is trying out the ability to send money through the platform in other markets with the intention of rolling it out globally.
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While dating occurs on Facebook and many have met and married through the platform, families have also been broken and the launch of Facebook dating might complicate the identity of Facebook as a simple social platform as couples might grow suspicious of each other in conservative markets.
Other socially connecting platforms built by Facebook include the Facebook groups, Pages, Work among others.
Facebook Dating will not show your potential dates to your Facebook friends with the app allowing you to block people you have mutual friends with from being your dates.
Remember that Facebook Dating is a strictly opt-in service.
Apart from your Facebook Dating profile not being visible to your friends, it will also not appear on friend’s news feed and only your Instagram photos will be visible and not your handle.
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You will however still be able to add your Facebook friends as a secret crush and revelation will be made if the interest will be mutual. So that there is not so much virtual cheating, dates will be limited to nine secret crushes at any given time.
With Facebook Dating, you will be able to find friends attending the same event, participating in the same group with the app providing the ability to block the feature.
You will also be able to find dates based on mutual friends (you can enable), mutual groups (can be enabled), mutual schools, mutual churches, employment etc….
Facebook Dating’s main intention is to “make matchmaking feel personal again” and is initially rolling out to only those who are 18 years and above in the U.S.A.
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