As governments in many countries have implemented social distancing and lockdownin an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, people’s daily lives have changed radically, while their dependence on the internet has intensified even more, as it provides them with solutions for both work and entertainment and communication, allowing them to maintain their social contacts even during quarantine. In response to the pandemic , Facebook is launching a new chat application for couples facing distance. This is the “Tuned” application, which allows couples to chat and exchange photos and music, creating a kind of digital album to maintain communication with each other.
Facebook’s New Product Experimentation (NPE) team created the free mobile app with the goal of giving users new experiences, describing “Tuned” as a “private space where partners can be themselves.” The NPE team’s new offering comes at a time when users need the internet more than ever . “Tuned” is available on iPhones and iPads and can be used to exchange messages , music, photos or other content, giving couples the ability to create a timeline of shared memories. Users can also link Spotify accounts , send notes, cards and voice messages, and use Facebook stickers and reactions.
When it comes to using user data, Facebook says all apps follow the company’s established policies. The new couples chat app doesn’t appear to have end-to-end encryption, so content shared in chat between couples could be used for targeted advertising in the same way it is on Facebook’s established platform . Facebook said that apps in the NPE group will be modified and removed if they prove to be unhelpful to people.
