Flirt now in Europe too: Facebook is launching its own dating function

The social media giant Facebook is now competing with the relevant dating apps in Europe as well. After a delay of several months, it is possible to flirt over the network from today – but not with people from your own friends list.

After a month-long delay due to data protection concerns, Facebook is now launching its dating function in Europe. Product manager Kate Orseth said of the launch in 32 European countries that you took your time to get everything right. In February, Facebook postponed the start of the flirt platform indefinitely.

On Facebook Dating, users over the age of 18 can create a separate profile. Facebook then suggests potential partners – based on the information provided by the users, but also on the platform's knowledge of their interests and activities.

Facebook friends are exempt from this – unless one of them is marked as a "secret crush" in the dating profile. You can put up to nine people on this list. The users only find out about this if there is mutual agreement. In order to make the flirt function safe, no photos or videos can be sent during conversations between users.

Meetings via video conference

Everyone can block or report another user, they say. At the same time, Facebook gives users the opportunity to incorporate content from the company's own photo platform, Instagram. In line with the corona crisis, Facebook offers meetings via video conference. Dating activity data can also be used by Facebook to personalize advertisements elsewhere on the online network's platform, Orseth said.

Shortly before Facebook postponed the start of the flirt platform in Europe in February, the Irish data protection authority carried out an "inspection" of the online network in Dublin and collected documents in the process. Now documents have been submitted to the authority in advance – although Facebook is not obliged to do so, Orseth said. Facebook Dating complies with the EU General Data Protection Regulation, she emphasized.

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg first presented the plans for a dating function in spring 2018. Since it was launched last year, Facebook Dating has gradually been rolled out in 20 countries.

The users are expressly requested to log in with their real identities and Facebook assures that fraud attempts should be consistently prevented. Every user complaint will be followed up. The online network is also proactively checking profile pictures, for example, to ensure that there are no nude photos there.