Facebook for years has served as an effective way to reconnect with old friends and keep in touch with existing ones but what if you want to meet some new people? Sure, that can be accomplished with today's Facebook given a bit of dedication but pulling it off without coming across as a creep can be tricky.
At its annual F8 developer conference on Tuesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed this void by announcing new dating features coming to Facebook.
During the keynote, Zuckerberg said the components will be for building real, long-term relationships - not just for hook-ups (a clear jab at Tinder). It's going to be part of the main Facebook app, he added, but will be totally optional and opt-in only. The features have been designed from the get-go with privacy in mind, Zuckerberg said, noting that your friends won't be able to see you (your profile will only be visible to non-friends).
Facebook has allowed users to broadcast whether they are single or in a relationship since its debut in 2004 but hasn't taken steps to help people meet in this capacity until now.
Share values in Match Group Inc., which owns and operates several major dating apps including Tinder, Match.com, Plenty of Fish and OKCupid, are down more than 20 percent on the news.
Interestingly enough, as The Verge reports, Facebook's new feature may be unavailable to users that are listed as being in a relationship. This would unquestionably reduce the occurrence of significant others engaging in non-faithful activities but would also likely raise concerns from those who are into open relationships.
More information on the dating features, including a release date, is expected later this year.