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Facebook, the world's leading social networking site, is set to launch a dating service in what is seen as a bid to challenge other popular dating apps such as Tinder.
The firm will unveil features within its app to enable users to connect to other people who are keen to establish relationships.
"If we are focused on helping people build meaningful relationships then perhaps this is the most meaningful of all... so we are launching a whole set of new features around dating," Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said at Facebook's F8 conference in San Jose, California.
Zuckerberg added: "This will be about building long term relationships around dating. It’s not just about hook ups." It will be launched soon, he added, without giving a specific date.
Facebook users looking to use the service will have to set up a dating profile, which will not appear publicly in their news feed or to friends. The service will be premised around groups and events as opposed to the left and right swipe-based dating seen on apps like Tinder or Bumble.
A prototype seen on screens at the F8 conference showed a heart shape at the top-right corner of the Facebook app and users will go directly to their dating profile upon clicking it.
Speaking in a separate presentation, Facebook Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said additional details about the service will be revealed over the next few months.