May 1 (UPI) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday the social media company is entering the online dating fray.
The new feature will connect users with other users they don’t know based on shared interests and mutual friends. Users will be able to create a dating profile, though the profile and any interaction based on the feature won’t be able to be seen by their friends.
“This is going to be for building real, longterm relationships — not just hook-ups,” Zuckerberg said during its annual F8 developer conference.
In a blog post, Facebook said it plans to begin testing the feature later this year.
Facebook announced a number of new features Tuesday, including language translation through Messenger, video chat through Instagram, information on blood donations through Facebook and enhanced Crisis Response center features.
Shares for Match Group, which owns Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid and PlentyOfFish, were down 22 percent at close Tuesday upon news of Facebook’s plans.
