Who can blame them considering Facebook’s history of privacy failures, from the Cambridge Analytica scandal to settling lawsuits with civil rights groups about microtargeted ads? The European Union forced Facebook to delay the launch of the service so regulators could take a look at security measures. Turning your Facebook profile into your dating profile immediately sets off privacy alarm bells. Currently, there’s no browser-based version. Instead, it’s part of the existing Facebook Android and iOS mobile app that you have to opt into to start using. You don’t download it as a standalone app. Many dating apps give you the option of setting up an account through Facebook. However, if you want to find love without the threat of Zuckerberg looking over your shoulder, we recommend paying for one of our Editors’ Choice picks, Match or Tinder.
It’s explicitly a dating app, but one that takes full advantage of the social features that its parent company offers. There are many apps designed specifically for dating, but who among us hasn’t been thirsty enough to slide into a DM on LinkedIn, Snapchat, Twitter, or, yes, Facebook? Facebook Dating tries to split the difference. When people have a platform to communicate with others, they can’t help but start saying how they really feel.
Give any social network enough time, and it eventually becomes a dating app.
