After a one-year test phase, Facebook releases its dating service for users from the USA as well as from some other American and Southeast Asian countries. It is expected to be available in Europe by 2020.
Anyone who has a Facebook profile and is at least eighteen years old may participate. In order to use the service, a separate dating profile from the actual Facebook profile must be set up. Facebook will then suggest other users who are also looking for dates based on “preferences, interests and other things you do on Facebook”. However, the dating app can only be used to contact friends of Facebook or Instagramfriends. It is not possible to make direct contact with people who are among one’s own Facebook or Instagra friends. However, there is one exception: Using the Secret Crus function, you can enter up to nine friends you would like to contact. If you also end up in the secret crush list of these friends, you can contact them via the dating service.
Facebook promises – presumably in view of the latest data protection scandals – security and data protection in the dating app. Facebook also announced that other users could be blocked and reported at any time. In addition, a close integration with Instagram and the import of the story function known from Instagram into the new app were announced.
