Mark Zuckerberg's social media platform has announced its latest offering, Facebook Dating. Apart from allowing people to find potential lovers based on similar interests, Facebook's new Dating offering will also allow users the ability to integrate their Instagram posts directly into their Facebook Dating profile and add Instagram followers to their Secret Crush lists.

Facebook Dating has been launched for users in the USA and 19 other countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Suriname, Thailand, Uruguay, and Vietnam. It will be launched in Europe in 2020 with no indication when it will be available for Facebook users in Africa.

"Finding a romantic partner is deeply personal, which is why we built Dating to be safe, inclusive and opt-in. Safety, security and privacy are at the forefront of this product. We worked with experts in these areas to build protections into Facebook Dating from the start, including the ability to report and block anyone; prohibiting people from sending photos, links, payments or videos in messages; and by providing easy access to safety tips. These features and others give you more control and peace of mind. Learn more about privacy and Facebook Dating here," wrote Nathan Sharp, Product Manager, Facebook Dating.

Facebook Dating Secret Crush lists on Instagram. Source: Facebook

How Facebook Dating works

What's interesting is that Facebook says all users in the relevant countries have to do to start using Facebook Dating is simply to opt-in and a separate profile for the dating service will be created for them. The only other requirement is that users who want to use Facebook Dating must be 18 years or older.

Unlike another popular dating app, Tinder, Facebook Dating only recommends you to others based on your preferences, interests and other things you do on Facebook (this can be a whole host of things given the amount of data Facebook collects on users).

"Facebook Dating isn’t about swiping or having to wait for someone to like you to get a first chance at reaching out. If you are interested in someone, you can comment directly on their profile or tap on the Like button to let them know. If you aren’t interested, you can pass on them. Facebook Dating allows you to match with friends of friends and/or people not in your friend circle. Facebook Dating won’t match you with friends, unless you choose to use Secret Crush and you both add each other to your list. All of your Dating activity will stay in Facebook Dating. It won’t be shared to the rest of Facebook," wrote Sharp.