Facebook Is Getting Into the Dating Game

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave the keynote address at F8, Facebook's annual developer conference, in San Jose Tuesday, and pledged the social network will fix its privacy problems—though he did not apologize for the recent Cambridge Analytica data-mining scandal. He did, however, poke fun at himself while unveiling a new "Watch Party" feature that allows users to watch videos together, the AP reports. Zuck suggested users could watch, for example, "your friend testifying before Congress" as video of his own recent testimony on Capitol Hill flashed onscreen. "Let's not do that again soon," he said. Here are the headlines coming out of the event, including a (gulp) dating service:

• Zuckerberg announced ahead of his speech that Facebook will soon be rolling out a "Clear History" feature in its ongoing quest to improve privacy controls. The Verge has more on how it will work.
• Speaking to Wired before F8, Zuck said he believes it will take about two more years to fix Facebook's issues with catching harmful content. Read the full interview here.
• The Los Angeles Times says a "shadow" was cast over F8 by the fact that some developers are unhappy with Facebook's privacy changes.

• Facebook is getting into the dating game. It will add a dating feature to its mobile app, Zuckerberg announced. Users will have to opt in, and Facebook friends won't be able to see their dating profile. Rather, those who opt in will be matched with others who are not their friends but who have also opted in. "This is going to be for building real long-term relationships, not just hookups," Zuckerberg said.
• USA Today notes that shares of Match Group, which owns Match.com, Tinder, and OkCupid, plunged after the dating feature announcement. The CEO of IAC, Match Group's parent company, snarked at Facebook in a statement: "Come on in. The water’s warm. Their product could be great for US/Russia relationships."
• Facebook also announced its virtual reality headset, Oculus Go, goes on sale starting at $199 Tuesday. TechCrunch has more on the headset here, and more on Facebook's plan to turn users' photos into "VR memories" here.

• Want more? VentureBeat, CNET, and Wired offer roundups of everything that was announced during day one of the conference.
• Analysts tell the AP Zuckerberg struck the right tone during the conference, a tone the AP refers to as "a mix of humor, seriousness and grit." One analyst says Facebook is giving the message that it understands what it needs to do to fix its privacy issues, and that F8 could help it to overcome the Cambridge Analytica shadow.
• Speaking of tone, Zuckerberg—infamous for having a monotonous, robotic delivery when he speaks—sounded quite different at F8. In fact, Mashable reports, many were comparing his cadence and manner of speaking to Barack Obama. The site has a clip so you can listen and judge for yourself.

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