Facebook Dating European Launch Delayed Amid Privacy Concerns

Facebook has been forced to delay the launch of its signature dating service in Europe after failing to provide the European Union data regulator with a required assessment of privacy risks to users. 

According to CNet, The Irish Data Protection Commission raised concerns about Facebook’s privacy practices, and whether the company complied with the European Union’s data protection rules, which are more stringent than those in the U.S. 

Under these new rules, companies considered to be “high risk” in the handling of personal information of users are required to conduct a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) prior to being approved. This includes a written report addressing and outlining potential privacy risks, which the agency said Facebook did not provide, even after the agency sent regulators to Facebook’s Dublin office to gather the required documentation, according to Tech Crunch. 

Facebook planned to release its dating feature prior to Valentine’s Day, but only notified the Irish Data Protection Commission about its plans in early February, which was not enough time for regulators to assess the risks to potential users. 

“We were very concerned that this was the first that we’d heard from Facebook Ireland about this new feature, considering that it was their intention to roll it out…13 February,” the regulator writes. “Our concerns were further compounded by the fact that no information/documentation was provided to us on 3 February in relation to the Data Protection Impact Assessment [DPIA] or the decision-making processes that were undertaken by Facebook Ireland.”

Tech Crunch also points out that the EU already had multiple ongoing investigations into Facebook services in the region, which raised red flags that the company intentionally overlooked complying with regulators on its dating service. In addition, on February 3rd Facebook was given a week to send over the required documentation, but failed to do so, resulting in regulators visiting the Facebook Dublin offices to gather what information they could.

Many dating apps have come under fire recently – including Match Group apps Tinder, OkCupid and Plenty of Fish – for their handling of user data and for failing to provide background checks on users. Dating apps in general face similar challenges to Facebook Dating – including the prevalence of scammers, fake profiles, and cyberstalking among other concerns. 

A spokesperson for Facebook told CNet: “"It's really important that we get the launch of Facebook Dating right so we are taking a bit more time to make sure the product is ready for the European market.”

The spokesperson added: “We’re under no legal obligation to notify the IDPC of product launches. However, as a courtesy to the Office of the Data Protection Commission, who is our lead regulator for data protection in Europe, we proactively informed them of this proposed launch two weeks in advance.”

But as Tech Crunch points out, under the GDPR, there is a requirement for tech companies to comply with privacy standards, especially platforms as large as Facebook’s. As of now, the regulators are still combing through documentation that they have, as well as waiting on Facebook to answer additional questions.

As of yet, there is no new date planned for the launch.