Facebook Dating has launched in a move that has the internet buzzing. The Associated Press reports that interactions of Facebook Dating had already been released in almost 20 different countries including Brazil and Canada. The platform is live in the United States today will a full roll-out slated for Europe by the end of 2020.
Marketers, particularly, seemed to be driving the buzz. Anyone who has visited or used a dating site knows the treasure trove of information that people are willing to share to find their perfect mate; preferences on media, cuisine, sports, travel, and political worldview are standard basics on most dating platforms.
However, Facebook Dating was built with privacy in mind, said Rob Sherman, Facebook Deputy Chief Privacy Officer. Facebook Dating is currently ad-free and there are no targeting options available within recent updates to the ads manager.
Some users, and a variety of people on the internet, were surprised by the move. But a 2016 Pew study, discovered via AP, found that online dating platform use is consistently trending upwards.
Interesting Facts from the Pew Online Dating Study:
- 12% of Americans have used an online dating site.
- 9% of Americans have used a dating app on their cell phone.
- 41% of Americans know someone who uses online dating
- 29% of Americans know someone who met a spouse or long-term partner through online dating.
- The number of 18 to 24-year-olds using dating sites has tripled. (Late Millenial / Gen Z)
- The number of 55- to 64 year-olds has doubled. (Baby Boomers)
The service is currently mobile-only. Facebook’s press release touts the “safety, security and privacy” of the product. Attempts by TINT staff to take native screencaps of the dating platform resulted in privacy warnings, showing that the Facebook Dating platform is indeed a gated, separate part of the overall Facebook ecosystem.
Other points of interest from the Facebook Dating launch:
- This is another blurred boundary of Facebook and Instagram. You’ll be able to cross-pollinate photos and stories from both platforms into your dating profile.
- Consistent language of reassurance that Facebook won’t share your dating profile with your current Friends. Hopefully this will reduce any associated share for using dating apps.
- You can enable privacy settings that allow your dating reach to focus on “Friends of Friends”, helping activate communities. That local aspect is a hot topic in social with other mega-companies like Google testing location-driven community tools.
- Dating location is established by a phone’s native Location Service but users must authorize changes to your “home” location.
