FACEBOOK JUMPS INTO DATING

Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement to join the dating service has raised people’s eyebrow.

The announcement is confirmed by CEO of Facebook himself at the F8 annual conference in San Jose, yesterday that 200 million people who list themselves as single would enjoy the world biggest dating arena soon.

However, Zuckerberg stated Facebook’s dating app it is ‘not just for hook-ups’, but it is going to be for building real long-term relationships.

“We have designed this with privacy and safety in mind from the beginning. It’s optional.” Said Mr Zuckerberg.

So how the new Facebook feature works?

The new app will have a feature for users to create separate profiles using their first name just for finding a date. They have to choose groups or events by ‘unlock’ to enter the group who might share same interests and have a higher potential to be their right matches.

There is also a separate ‘inbox’ that will allow the users to message privately the potential dates without photos permitted unlike the current inbox feature even no connection to other messaging services like messenger or WhatsApp.

People who use this feature are no need to worry that their regular friends would see their secret dating profile. The dating profile won’t show up on the news feed or be visible to any group of regular friends; only the others who use the dating service can see your dating profile.

Who wins/who loses

It’s bad news for the dating app and online dating players. The new move of the gigantic Facebook might ground all other players away.

The popular Tinder dating app had already experienced sharestumbled more than 18% on the news and down 22% at close yesterday.

Regarding business, Mr Zuckerberg will, of course, make more money by having more users and regaining some users who used to abandon it to take sometimes logging into their accounts to have a look at people’s dating profiles. Facebook will find the way to make value from the precise data of people who join the new feature.

However, the concern over how well Facebook can protect their customer’s data after its millions of users’ data was secretly accessed for political purpose is still a big question.

Mr Zuckerberg has also announced its new policy control on Facebook to restore the users’ trusts, vowing to the company would work with privacy advocates, academics, policymakers and regulators to get their input regarding privacy matter of the dating feature.

We will have a clear answer when the Facebook’s heart-shaped icon executes, how well it could help protect private data of their users.

Reference: The Guardian