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Facebook does Tinder with new Dating profiles, Tinder's stock craters

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: May 02, 2018, 10:45 AM

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Right after he got roasted in a congressional hearing on privacy issues, Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg got on stage yesterday and basically said that they peeped into profiles, found out that 200 million Facebook users are single, and decided that the embattled social network should play matchmaker. No, we aren't talking about a dating app per se, but rather a feature within the current Facebook app called simply "Dating," coming later this year to take on the Tinders and Bumbles of this world.

There are 200 million people on Facebook who list themselves as single

Those two dating apps are often just coat paint for user profile information pulled from Facebook anyway, was probably the chain of thought, so why not make the social network an even stickier place to be in. The "Dating" option will have all the prerequisites of a match-making app, and you will be able to create a profile completely separate from your Facebook one, which will be accessible only through the Dating section, as your friends won't be able to see what you are up to there.

"Potential matches will be recommended based on dating preferences, things in common, and mutual friends," says the presser, but the kicker is that the Events and Groups features of Facebook will be accessible, too, so finding people based on common interests, or getting someone to go to a concert with, and take it from there, will be made inherently easier. The overall impression is that Mark Zuckerberg's team is trying to make Dating as a vehicle for connections, rather than one-night stands (not that hookups are without their connecting charms) like what Tinder has gradually become.

Speaking of Tinder, the stock of Match Group, its parent company, crashed 30% after Facebook's announcement, yet the CEO Joey Levin downplayed the hype with the sarcastic "Come on in. The water’s warm. Their product could be great for US/Russia relationships." Burn.

source: Facebook

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.