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The dating industry has been remarkably restrained in its responses to Facebook’s upcoming dating service.

A spokesperson from Bumble described the company as “thrilled” to welcome its new competitor, and suggested that perhaps “Bumble and Facebook can join forces to make the connecting space even more safe and empowering.”

Joey Levin, chief executive at IAC, assured shareholders that “on the long list of things we worry about in our dating business, [Facebook] doesn't top the list."

Match Group CEO Mandy Ginsberg released a statement announcing that “Facebook’s entry will only be invigorating to all of us."

Tinder CEO Elie Seidman simply said he is “convinced” Tinder can “rise to the occasion.”

Facebook Dating recently launched in Colombia, months after the company announced the new service at its developer conference in May. There’s been a lot of speculation, but now the first users are getting a taste of how the service will work.

According to Mashable, Facebook Dating is completely separate from your traditional Facebook profile, so you can feel free to search for potential dates without your activity showing up on your main Facebook page. Users can opt-in from the main menu where you find groups, Marketplace, and events. Then you can create a profile by adding photos and information, like where you went to school.

One of the main differences of Facebook’s service (as pointed out by Business Insider), is that Facebook is not matching people within their social media circle like other apps, so there’s no concern you’ll be matched directly with your online friends, which was an initial concern among users. Instead, Facebook Dating is connecting users according to interests and activities. Based on these attributes, Facebook by default will include friends-of-friends as well as strangers unless you only want to see people with no mutual connections.

Facebook has officially entered the dating app game, launching its new feature Facebook Dating exclusively for users in Colombia. Since the announcement of the new service in May at the company’s annual developers conference, the online dating industry has been anxious for how Facebook might upend the market.

Facebook chose Colombia because online dating is a “pervasive behavior” there according to Nathan Sharp, product manager for Facebook Dating. The country has a population of 48.6 million, giving Facebook the opportunity to see how people use it and how it compares to other dating apps. There are about 200 million single Facebook users globally, according to Sharp, a huge population to reach.

The service is currently available only through the social media giant’s mobile app, and users have to opt in to the service to use it. Also, Facebook Dating is separate from the regular Facebook service, so a user’s dating activity will not be visible to friends on social media. Facebook intends to compete directly with dating apps, but the company’s focus is on connecting people to form relationships, moving away from superficial swiping that’s popular on apps like Tinder.

Online dating has become the most popular way for people to meet, but according to a recent article in Forbes, this doesn’t mean they’re are satisfied with the experience. Many are skeptical that technology will help them find love – and in fact, might make it harder.

The Forbes article focused on ghosting, a practice that has become ubiquitous among online daters. Ghosting happens when one person stops communicating with another with no explanation.

The problem with ghosting according to the Forbes article, is not the act itself, which has been around for a while, it’s how prevalent it has become. It has become such a problem among online daters that Plenty of Fish did a study, and reported that 78% of its users admitted to being ghosted at least once.

Image: CoffeeMeetsBagel

Dating App Coffee Meets Bagel no longer requires a Facebook account for users to login to the app. Now, customers can sign up using their mobile number instead, bypassing Facebook completely.

The change was effective on August 20^th.

Typically when customers sign up to a new online dating platform, they have to verify that they are a real person (to avoid the proliferation of fake accounts). Facebook has typically been part of this verification process, and provides an easy way for users to pull photos, profile information, and link personal connections with other networks of friends.

Match Group, the parent company of popular dating apps such as Tinder, OkCupid, and PlentyofFish, reported second quarter earnings of $421 million, exceeding industry analyst expectations.

The rise in profits was thanks to its star app Tinder, which gained an additional 300,000 subscribers in Q2 alone, and has seen a record 3.8 million subscribers to date. Match Group expects to earn $1.72 billion this year, with Tinder expected to exceed $800 million in revenue, according to Fortune Magazine. Match Group’s subscribers for all apps total about 7.7 million.

“Retention and conversion were a bit stronger than we thought they would be,” Chief Executive Mandy Ginsberg told website MarketWatch.