The story appears on

Page A10

September 17, 2019

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

HomeFeature

Facing up to online dating privacy concerns

Facebook is tackling a new frontier 鈥 love. Facebook Dating, a matchmaking service the company already offers in Brazil, Canada and 17 other countries, has arrived in the US. But after years of privacy mis-steps by the social network, will people trust it with their love lives?

For a company that鈥檚 also developing its own digital currency and dabbling in e-commerce, love is another step toward reaching into all aspects of human existence.

Although many features resemble what other matchmaking services offer, Facebook鈥檚 version promises to be different, just as Tinder brought swiping and Bumble brought female-first messaging.

That鈥檚 if users can get over concerns about privacy.

鈥淎 feature on Facebook that people don鈥檛 trust isn鈥檛 going to be successful,鈥 said Rob Sherman, the company鈥檚 deputy chief privacy officer. 鈥淲e built in privacy from the ground up.鈥

Tell that to Seth Carter, 32, an engineer from Terre Haute, Indiana, who tried a host of dating apps ranging from Match to Bumble, Tinder and Christian Mingle prior to his current relationship.

He worries that Facebook鈥檚 stated commitment to privacy would ultimately buckle under pressure to make money off the service.

鈥淭hat likely means they鈥檙e going to sell my dating preferences, which means more intrusions into my life,鈥 he said.

Users can hardly be blamed for their apprehension, given the company鈥檚 multiple stumbles over protecting people鈥檚 private information.

Facebook was fined a record US$5 billion this summer by the Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations. It鈥檚 also under scrutiny for allowing for the spread of election-related misinformation as well as discrimination in US housing ads.

Facebook Dating comes as the popularity of online dating grows. In 2016, 15 percent of all US adults said they had used online dating services, up from virtually none in 2005, according to the Pew Research Center. The market is crowded. From old school sites like eHarmony to Hinge or The League, a members-only service promising to bring together folks with 鈥渁mbition and a drive to succeed,鈥 there are also apps focused on farmers, religious groups, seniors, the LGBT community and so on.

When he announced the feature last year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook Dating is 鈥渘ot just for hookups鈥 but to build 鈥渕eaningful, long-term relationships.鈥

That appeared to be a direct swipe at Tinder, a service best known for hooking people up with people they find attractive by showing their photo, age and first name.

With Facebook, you start by creating a dating profile distinct from your Facebook profile. It鈥檚 easy to bring over details such as your school and job 鈥 but you鈥檙e free to embellish or hide any of that just for Facebook Dating. You can also add up to 36 of your Instagram photos. You have to be at least 18, rather than 13 with the main Facebook service. The service isn鈥檛 limited to those who鈥檝e listed themselves as 鈥渟ingle.鈥

Facebook Dating shows your age, but hides your last name. When you see a suggested match, you 鈥渓ike鈥 someone by tapping a heart icon, or tap 鈥淴鈥欌 to dislike. You can鈥檛 search for mates by interests or other keywords, the way you can with Match. You鈥檙e limited to what Facebook suggests. As with Tinder, you have to decide whether or not you like someone before seeing the next match.

Facebook Dating won鈥檛 suggest friends as matches, nor will your dating profile show up on your main news feed or be visible to friends. Facebook insists it won鈥檛 use information gleaned from your profile for advertising and says there won鈥檛 be ads on Facebook Dating.

Facebook won鈥檛 let lonely hearts 鈥 or creeps 鈥 send photos or website links, which could help cut down on unsolicited photos. As a safety measure, you can also share your location with friends while you鈥檙e on a date.

To help you meet offline and share interests, the service will suggest matches based on your existing Facebook groups and events. If you and a match are both going to a concert, you can make plans to meet up there. (These options require you to intentionally activate them.)

Harbor hidden passions for your existing Facebook friends or Instagram followers? You can pick up to nine as a 鈥渟ecret crush.鈥 You鈥檒l both be notified if your crush is also on Facebook Dating and has likewise picked you. Otherwise, Facebook says, the crush remains secret. But based on Facebook鈥檚 history with users鈥 private information, there鈥檚 certainly a possibility that it won鈥檛, so prepare to be embarrassed.


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend