Facebook’s new dating feature has officially launched in the United States, but concerns over Mark Zuckerberg’s collection of even more personal data are already being raised.
Facebook Dating has officially launched in the United States, including a “Secret Crush” feature that is designed to let you know if a user you have a crush on feels the same way without the risk of embarrassment. The plans for the Dating service were revealed at Facebook’s F8 conference in April. The firm noted that users will need to opt in to enable the dating feature saying in a statement:
Starting today, you can choose to opt into Facebook Dating and create a Dating profile (separate from your main profile) if you’re 18 years or older and have downloaded the most recent version of Facebook. You will be suggested to others who have also opted in. People are suggested based on your preferences, interests and other things you do on Facebook. Facebook Dating isn’t about swiping or having to wait for someone to like you to get a first chance at reaching out. If you are interested in someone, you can comment directly on their profile or tap on the Like button to let them know. If you aren’t interested, you can pass on them. Facebook Dating allows you to match with friends of friends and/or people not in your friend circle.
Mark Zuckerberg and company reportedly believe that the selling point of its dating app is authenticity. Although dating profiles will be separate from Facebook profiles, the app still uses data from your Facebook profile to find matches with people it thinks you will have things in common with.
Facebook Dating makes it easier to find love through what you like — helping you start meaningful relationships through things you have in common, like interests, events and groups. It takes the work out of creating a dating profile and gives you a more authentic look at who someone is.
Facebook claims to have privacy issues covered and ensured that users shouldn’t be worried stating:
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. We worked with experts in these areas to build protections into Facebook Dating from the start, including the ability to report and block anyone; prohibiting people from sending photos, links, payments or videos in messages; and by providing easy access to safety tips. These features and others give you more control and peace of mind […]
We won’t create a Facebook Dating profile for your account unless you specifically choose to create one [and] we won’t share your dating activity to your Facebook profile or News Feed. You control who on Facebook can see your Dating profile. Also, your Facebook friends won’t know you’re using Dating unless you choose to tell them.
But many are not convinced, New York Magazine already raised some concerns pointing out that while Facebook claims that your dating profile and main profile will be separate, it does possibly mean having to give Facebook even more of your user data:
The problem, as ever, is that Facebook Dating is made by Facebook, a business whose main objective is to collect personal information and monetize it. It’s a seemingly useful service that also acts as a Trojan horse for the company’s existing interests […]
The fact that someone is using Facebook Dating is kept siloed; your Facebook life and your Facebook Dating life are supposedly separate. But under the surface, it seems as if every part of the service is integrated with Facebook’s other properties, which in turn gives Facebook more personal data to potentially target users with ads. New tactics, same old objective.
The Verge also suggested that the launch of the dating service could cause some antitrust issues due to Facebook’s massive advantage over other dating apps:
The most notable thing about Facebook Dating from a regulatory point of view is likely the way it takes advantage of at least five pillars of the company […] It uses your Facebook friend graph and profile to find you matches and verify the authenticity of your account. It lets you find romantic partners among people who are in the same Facebook groups, or attending the same Facebook events, that you are. It encourages you coordinate your plans on Messenger.
And finally, with the US launch, Facebook Dating has added a close integration with Instagram. You can add a module of your recent Instagram photos to your dating profile, and eventually, you’ll be able to post Instagram stories there as well […]
It’s another area where Facebook’s many strengths could crowd out competitors over time. If I were mounting an antitrust investigation against the company, it’s a product I’d take a very close look at.
Recently, a server holding Facebook users’ phone numbers was leaked online with 419 million records over several databases being exposed. The server contained 133 million records on U.S. Facebook users while 18 million records of U.K. users were discovered. The contact details of 50 million users in Vietnam were also exposed.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or email him at lnolan@breitbart.com
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