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A24    TECHNOLOGY
                 Monday 9 SepteMber 2019
            Friends with benefits: Can Facebook tackle your love life?




            By BARBARA ORTUTAY                                                                                                  together  folks  with  “am-
            AP Technology Writer                                                                                                bition  and  a  drive  to  suc-
            SAN  FRANCISCO  (AP)  —                                                                                             ceed,” there are also apps
            Facebook is tackling a new                                                                                          focused  on  farmers,  reli-
            frontier: love.                                                                                                     gious  groups,  seniors,  the
            Facebook      Dating,    a                                                                                          LGBT  community  and  so
            matchmaking  service  the                                                                                           on.  When  he  announced
            company  already  offers                                                                                            the feature last year, Face-
            in  Brazil,  Canada  and  17                                                                                        book  CEO  Mark  Zucker-
            other  countries,  arrives  in                                                                                      berg  said  Facebook  Dat-
            the  U.S.  on  Thursday.  But                                                                                       ing is “not just for hookups”
            after  years  of  privacy  mis-                                                                                     but  to  build  “meaningful,
            steps by the social network,                                                                                        long-term    relationships.”
            will people trust it with their                                                                                     That appeared to be a di-
            love lives?                                                                                                         rect swipe at Tinder, a ser-
            For a company that’s also                                                                                           vice  best  known  for  hook-
            developing  its  own  digital                                                                                       ing people up with people
            currency  and  dabbling  in                                                                                         they  find  attractive  by
            e-commerce,  love  is  an-                                                                                          showing  their  photo,  age
            other step toward reaching                                                                                          and first name.
            into  all  aspects  of  human                                                                                       With  Facebook,  you  start
            existence.                                                                                                          by  creating  a  dating  pro-
            Although many features re-                                                                                          file distinct from your Face-
            semble what other match-     This  undated  product  image  provide  by  Facebook  shows  screenshots  of  Facebook  Dating,  a   book  profile.  It’s  easy  to
            making     services   offer,   mobile-only matchmaking service. On Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, the service will launch in the U.S.   bring  over  details  such  as
            Facebook’s  version  prom-                                                                         Associated Press  your school and job — but
            ises  to  be  different,  just  as  bile-only service that’s free  isn’t  going  to  be  success-  ing from Match to Bumble,  you’re  free  to  embellish
            Tinder brought swiping and  to use and free of ads, can  ful,” said Rob Sherman, the   Tinder and Christian Mingle  or hide any of that just for
            Bumble  brought  female-     still  help  Facebook  make  company’s  deputy  chief     prior to his current relation-  Facebook Dating. You can
            first messaging. Your Face-  money  if  it  keeps  people  privacy  officer.  “We  built   ship.                    also  add  up  to  36  of  your
            book Dating profile will be  glued  to  its  other  services  in privacy from the ground   “Facebook is here to make  Instagram photos.
            separate  from  your  main  longer.                       up.”                         money and I get that,” he  You  have  to  be  at  least
            one,  but  it  will  let  you  tap  That’s if users can get over  Tell  that  to  Seth  Carter,   said.  But  he  worries  that  18, rather than 13 with the
            your  network  of  friends  to  concerns about privacy.   32, an engineer from Terre   Facebook’s  stated  com-     main  Facebook  service.
            identify “secret crushes.”   “A  feature  on  Facebook  Haute,  Indiana,  who  tried   mitment  to  privacy  would  The  service  isn’t  limited  to
            Facebook  Dating,  a  mo-    that  people  don’t  trust  a host of dating apps rang-   ultimately  buckle  under  those  who’ve  listed  them-
                                                                                                   pressure  to  make  money  selves as “single.”
            Samsung folding phone to launch after                                                  off  the  service.  “That  likely  Facebook  Dating  shows
                                                                                                   means  they’re  going  to  your  age,  but  hides  your
            screen problem delay                                                                   sell my dating preferences,  last  name.  When  you  see
                                                                                                   which  means  even  more  a  suggested  match,  you
                                                                                                   intrusions into my life.”    “like” someone by tapping
            By KELVIN CHAN               where  it  was  showcasing  a  standard  smartphone       Facebook says it won’t be  a heart icon, or tap “X’’ to
            AP Business Writer           the device.                  when folded, but opens up    doing any of that. But users  dislike. You can’t search for
            LONDON (AP) — Samsung’s  The  nearly  $2,000  phone  to the size of a small tablet,    like  Carter  can  hardly  be  mates by interests or other
            highly  anticipated  fold-   will  launch  on  Sept.  6  in  with the internal screen dis-  blamed for their apprehen-  keywords, the way you can
            ing  phone  will  go  on  sale  South  Korea,  and  Sept.  18  play bisected by a crease.   sion, given the company’s  with  Match.  You’re  limited
            Friday,  after  the  original  in  France,  Germany  and  It  also  has  another  screen   multiple stumbles over pro-  to  what  Facebook  sug-
            launch  date  was  delayed  Britain, with versions for next  on the outside so it can be   tecting  people’s  private  gests.  As  with  Tinder,  you
            by months because of em-     generation  5G  networks  used when closed.               information. Facebook was  have to decide whether or
            barrassing  problems  with  available  in  the  latter  two  Samsung has said the com-  fined  a  record  $5  billion  not  you  like  someone  be-
            the screen.                  countries.                   posite polymer screen can    this  summer  by  the  Feder-  fore seeing the next match.
            The  South  Korean  tech  gi-  Other  markets  including  be  opened  and  closed      al  Trade  Commission  over  Facebook  Dating  won’t
            ant  had  put  the  Galaxy  the U.S. and Singapore will  200,000 times, or 100 times   privacy  violations.  It’s  also  suggest friends as matches,
            Fold’s  launch  on  hold  af-  follow,  but  the  company  a day for five years.       under  scrutiny  for  allowing  nor  will  your  dating  profile
            ter  reviewers  encountered  did not specify dates.       “We’ve had to make some      for the spread of election-  show up on your main news
            problems with the device’s  The  Galaxy  Fold’s  original  really   high-tech   adjust-  related misinformation and  feed or be visible to friends.
            innovative  folding  screen,  April  launch  was  pushed  ments  in  how  we’re  going   discrimination  in  U.S.  hous-  Facebook  insists  it  won’t
            which  the  company  said  back  after  reports  that  to  make  this  device,”  said   ing ads.                    use  information  gleaned
            on  Thursday  have  now  some  reviewers’  phones  Mark  Notton,  Samsung’s            Facebook  Dating  comes  from your dating profiles for
            been resolved.               were breaking.               European  portfolio  direc-  as the popularity of online  advertising  and  says  there
            “During  the  past  sever-   Journalists  who  had  re-   tor.  They  include  adding   dating grows: In 2016, 15%  won’t be ads on Facebook
            al  months,  Samsung  has  ceived  the  phones  to  protective caps to the top         of  all  U.S.  adults  said  they  Dating.
            been  refining  the  Galaxy  preview  said  the  folding  and  bottom  of  the  hinge,   had  used  online  dating  Facebook  won’t  let  lonely
            Fold to ensure it delivers the  screen  started  flickering  extending  the  screen  pro-  services,  up  from  virtually  hearts — or creeps — send
            best  possible  experience,”  and  turning  black  before  tector  to  better  ensure   none in 2005, according to  photos  or  website  links,
            with  improvements  to  the  fizzling  out.  Two  reviewers  sure  it  stays  in  place,  and   the Pew Research Center.  which could help cut down
            phone’s  “design  and  con-  mistakenly  removed  the  slimming  down  the  hinge      The  market  is  crowded.  on unsolicited photos. As a
            struction,”  the  company  screen’s  protective  outer  and narrowing the gap be-      From  old  school  sites  like  safety  measure,  you  can
            said  in  an  announcement  plastic layer.                tween  the  hinge  and  the   eHarmony to Hinge or The  also  share  your  location
            at the start of a consumer  The  Galaxy  Fold  is  slightly  body  when  the  phone  is   League,  a  members-only  with friends while you’re on
            electronics fair in Germany  longer  and  narrower  than  closed, Notton said.q        service  promising  to  bring  a date.q
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