It's been just over a month since the Federal Trade Commission slapped Facebook with a $5 billion fine for privacy violations. Now, a new product is rolling out in the US that promises to outdo apps like Tinder, Bumble and Match: Facebook Dating.
In this service, users will be able to import Instagram posts as well as add their Instagram followers and Facebook friends to the Secret Crush list.
Facebook Dating is the company's next step, as it no longer just connects friends or family. The question that now arises is this: Can anyone trust a companythat has a history of misusing users' personal data in the hope of finding love?
Facebook has taken some steps to prevent each user's Facebook Dating profile from being visible where it doesn't need to be. This way, it won't be visible to people users don't want, such as family, colleagues, possibly friends, or even a "legal" relationship.
Users of the service will be able to only see profiles without mutual friends, as well as block specific profiles that they never want to be shown. It is worth mentioning that profiles will never be visible to people who are not on Facebook Dating, and with the recent integration of Instagram, photos will be visible, but no additional information.
Now, if a user wants to add a Facebook friend to their list ,they can do so, but it will only be visible if there is mutual interest. The Secret Crush list can consist of 9 people or less. Never more.
What remains unknown is what further data Facebook will use. The company officially claims that profile suggestions are made solely based on interests and other actions performed by users on Facebook. Nevertheless, a company representative said specifically that he cannot discuss the details of the system.
If we exclude everyone's concerns about the use of personal data, etc., Facebook Dating has several advantages. Its biggest goal is to make such contacts more personal. It seeks to remind people that there is a real person behind each profile. That dating is not and should not be a game. This could make a difference, in a market that is full of applications of this type that have become tired.
Another thing that differentiates the service from other dating apps is that sending links, photos or videos , thus eliminating the possibility of exchanging spam and pornographic content.
And finally, let's not forget that the service is completely free. Facebook Dating is starting its rollout in the US for users 18 years old and above.
