Facebook’s Dating goes live in Europe after long delay

Facebook released its nascent dating feature to European users following months of delays caused by the data protection concerns of local regulators.

Facebook Dating is an opt-in service that lets members of the social network find romantic partners, though, crucially, the feature won’t match individuals with their existing friends, the company said Thursday.

“We’re launching Facebook Dating in Europe to help more people find meaningful relationships through things they have in common, like interests, events and groups,” the company said in a statement.

The dating service launched in the US last year after initially being announced in 2018. Its expansion to Europe brings big-name competition to market leaders Bumble, Badoo and Match Group’s Tinder and OkCupid.