The CEO of popular dating app Tinder says she is “surprised” by the timing of Facebook’s dating service launch announcement.
Shares in Tinder’s parent company Match Group tumbled more than 20 per cent after CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the plans at Facebook’s F8 developer conference in San Jose, California.
Match CEO Mandy Ginsberg, whose company owns Tinder, OKCupid, Plenty of Fish and Match.com, hinted that the recent data-sharing scandal which engulfed Facebook and Cambridge Analytica could people off the idea of dating through the social network.
“We’re surprised at the timing given the amount of personal and sensitive data that comes with this territory,” she said.
“Regardless, we’re going to continue to delight our users through product innovation and relentless focus on relationship success. We understand this category better than anyone.”
An executive at Match Group’s parent company IAC also took a swipe at Facebook, referring to the fake news scandal in which Russia is alleged to have interfered with the US election and Brexit referendum.
“Come on in, the water’s warm,” its CEO Joey Levin said. “Their product could be great for US/ Russia relationships.”
On stage in San Jose, Zuckerberg assured the audience that the feature has been developed “with privacy and safety in mind from the beginning” and is expected to launch “soon”.
“There are 200 million people on Facebook who list themselves as single,” he said.
“And if we are committed to building meaningful relationships, then this is perhaps the most meaningful of all.”
As a result of the announcement, Facebook’s shares rose by 1.1 per cent to close at $173.86.
At the F8 conference, Zuckerberg admitted that 2018 has been an “intense year” for Facebook.