Facebook is coming with its new dating app soon on the social media platform.
Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg announced at an annual developer conference. Speaking in front of a packed crowd in San Jose, Zuckerberg https://www.facebook.com/ described the new dating feature as a tool to build “real long-term relationships – not just hookups”. Facebook has also started internal testing of the app with their employees.
“This product is for US Facebook employees who have opted-in to dogfooding Facebook’s new dating product,” The purpose for this dogfooding is to test the end-to-end product experience for bugs and confusing UI. This is not meant for dating your coworkers.”
Chris Cox, the chief product officer, said the dating feature would be “opt-in” and “safe” and that the company “took advantage of the unique properties of the platform”.
Cox showed a user’s hypothetical dating profile, which he said would be separate from an individual’s regular profile, accessed in a different section of the site. The dating feature would use only a first name and only be visible to those who are using the service, not an individual’s Facebook friends. The feature would not show up in the news feed, he added.
Cox said users of this feature could browse and “unlock” local events and message others planning to attend. If a potential date responded, the two would then connect via a text messaging feature that is not connected to WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
Facebook asked employees to use fake data for their dating profiles and plans to delete all data before the public launch. “Dogfooding this product is completely voluntary and has no impact on your employment,” a screenshot reads, adding that the product is confidential. It also warns employees that its anti-harassment policies apply to the dating product.
The CEO noted that one in three marriages in the US now started online. He said couples who met on Facebook have repeatedly thanked him over the years.
Facebook’s launch of a dating service would make it an immediate powerhouse in the market for online romance. The stock price of Match Group, which owns popular dating apps including OkCupid and Tinder, plunged 17 percent the day Facebook Dating was announced.
Zuckerberg said: “These are some of the moments that I’m really proud of what we’re doing. I know that we’re making a positive difference in people’s lives.”
Thank You!
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