Last Thursday, Facebook has finally launched in Belgium its online dating service, which is expected to become a competitor of the popular American app Tinder.
Facebook Dating was already available in around 20 countries, spread across North and South America as well as South-East Asia. Now, Facebook is launching this service in 32 European countries, Belgium included.
The new service has been integrated into the Facebook app, enabling everyone with a Facebook account to subscribe. The social media company declared in a statement that this is a stand-alone service within the app: Facebook users won’t automatically receive a Dating profile, but will have to create one themselves.
Some of the main features of the new dating service include the ability to share Stories on the personal profile; a Secret Crush feature that lets users select up to nine Facebook friends or Instagram followers who they would like to date (without them knowing unless they also add you as well); the possibility to see users with similar interests if users add their Facebook Events and Groups to the Dating profile; and a video chat called Virtual Dates.
Users will also be able to report or block other users to avoid “unpleasant experiences.” The company insisted that the dating service ensures ahigh level of privacy and security, as finding the right loving partner is a very personal experience.
Facebook has been accused many times for harmful practices on social media, including the violation of privacy, the dissemination of fake news, the publication of hate speeches, and a general abuse of its dominance in the sector.
In an attempt to regulate the digital sector of social media network providers, the European Parliament voted last Tuesday to approve stricter regulations on digital companies such as Facebook and Google.
