Facebook takes on matchmaking role
SAN JOSE, California: Facebook, which is still smarting over a data breach scandal, is back on the offensive by playing a new role as matchmaker.
At Facebook’s annual developer conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said they have launched a dating tool.
Also, they have enabled a function that allows users to delete information Facebook has gathered on them.
Taking on a more sombre and forceful tone than in previous years, Zuckerberg tried to bolster Facebook’s commitment to privacy and building community. He said that users should have the ability to delete the browsing history Facebook collects, much in the way that browsers such as Apple’s Safari and Google’s Chrome allow people to clear their tracking cookies.
The ability to delete browsing history gives users some element of control over the information Facebook gathers on them and brings the company more in line with its competitors’ policies. Google and Apple allow users to permanently delete their browsing and search histories from its servers. Like Facebook, though,
We’re flattered that Facebook is coming into our space. We’re surprised at the timing given the amount of personal and sensitive data that comes with this territory. — Mandy Ginsberg, Match Group CEO
Google says its services will perform worse without the data it uses to, for instance, help users auto-complete their searches.
After defending Facebook’s approach to privacy, Zuckerberg went on the offensive and introduced several new products. The one that garnered the most attention - and some chuckles from the audience - was the dating app. Zuckerberg said that Facebook should be in the business of bringing people together in new ways.
He told a story of being stopped on the street by married couples who had met through Facebook, and said that he wanted to make a more deliberate effort to bring couples together.
So many people are single, Zuckerberg said, “so clearly there’s something to do here!”
The move to create a dating app is part of Facebook’s broader efforts to copy successful services from other companies. In recent years, Facebook has added a marketplace feature that is similar to Craigslist, and a tab that allows people to donate money that mimics features of crowdsourced funding apps.
The company also announced Facebook Watch, a feature that allows people to watch and participate in group chats about videos, which is similar to another popular app called Houseparty.
Some popular dating apps tried to make light of Facebook’s dating play, which could dial up competition. “We’re flattered that Facebook is coming into our space,” Match Group CEO Mandy Ginsberg said in a statement.
“We’re surprised at the timing given the amount of personal and sensitive data that comes with this territory.” Some dating services such as Tinder and Hinge use the Facebook log in to connect people.
Zuckerberg also introduced a new virtual-reality headset, called Oculus Go. In an Oprah-style moment, he exclaimed that all of the attendees would get a free US$200 headset.
Facebook Vice President Adam Mosseri discussed how the company is rewriting its newsfeed algorithm to help promote trustworthy news and create healthier conversations online. The company is testing whether people make fewer aggressive and inflammatory statements when they are in conversation with friends and people they know as opposed to strangers, he said. — The Washington Post