Facebook’s integrated dating platform, an addition to its primary social media service, has now become available in Europe, following a delay of over nine months caused by concerns regarding data privacy.

Starting today, Facebook users throughout Europe – specifically in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. – have the option to utilize Facebook Dating by establishing a profile at facebook.com/dating.

Key features of the dating service include the ability to share Stories directly on your dating profile; a “Secret Crush” function allowing you to indicate up to nine Facebook friends or Instagram followers you are interested in, without their knowledge unless they reciprocate, resulting in a mutual match notification; the option to connect with individuals who share similar interests by linking your Facebook Events and Groups to your Dating profile; and a video communication tool known as Virtual Dates.

Earlier in February, Facebook agreed to postpone the rollout of Facebook Dating across the region after representatives from the DPC visited its Dublin office, citing insufficient prior notification of the launch and a lack of comprehensive documentation detailing its operational procedures.

After more than nine months, the regulator now expresses satisfaction with its understanding of how Facebook Dating manages personal data, while also stating it will continue to oversee the platform’s implementation throughout the EU.

Furthermore, the DPC confirms that Facebook has implemented certain modifications to the product in response to the concerns it initially raised (detailed information is provided below).

Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle explained to TechCrunch: “As you may remember, the DPC became aware of Facebook’s intentions to launch Facebook Dating just days before its scheduled February release. Following the actions taken by the DPC at that time – including an on-site inspection and the submission of several inquiries and concerns to Facebook – Facebook has supplied thorough explanations regarding the processing of personal data within the Dating feature. Facebook has also provided specifics on changes made to the product to address the issues identified by the DPC. We will continue to monitor the product as it becomes available across the EU this week.”

“Greater proactive engagement on projects of this nature is essential moving forward,” he added.

Since the introduction of Facebook’s dating service in 20 countries globally – including the U.S. and numerous markets in Asia and Latin America – the company reports that over 1.5 billion matches have been “established”.

In a press statement regarding the European launch, Facebook emphasizes that it has “developed Dating with a strong focus on safety, security, and privacy”, further stating: “We collaborated with specialists in these fields to provide straightforward access to safety guidance and integrate protective measures into Facebook Dating, such as the ability to report and block users, and to prevent the sharing of photos, links, payments, or videos in messages.”

A link to an update concerning Facebook Dating’s privacy practices is also provided, highlighting that the service is an “opt-in experience”. This document includes a section outlining how usage of the platform affects Facebook’s data collection and the advertisements users encounter across its various products.

“Facebook Dating may suggest potential matches based on your activities, preferences, and information within Dating and other Facebook Products,” it states. “We may also utilize your activity in Dating to personalize your experience, including the advertisements you see, across Facebook Products. However, your religious views and the gender(s) you are interested in dating will not be used to personalize your experience on other Facebook Products.”

A significant privacy-related adjustment resulting from the DPC’s involvement appears to be Facebook’s commitment to refrain from using Dating users’ religious and sexual orientation data for targeted advertising.

Under EU legislation, this type of personal information is categorized as “special category” data – and processing it requires a higher standard of explicit user consent. (And Facebook likely wished to avoid presenting Dating users with prompts requesting permission to target them with advertisements based on their religious or sexual orientation, for instance.)

When asked about the product modifications, the DPC verified a number of changes related to special category data, along with supplementary clarifications.

Here is the complete list of “changes and clarifications” received from Facebook:

• Adjustments to the user interface concerning a user’s selection of religious belief, where the “prefer not to say” option was previously less visible;
• An updated sign-up process within the Dating feature to clearly inform users that Dating is a Facebook product and is subject to Facebook’s terms of service and data policy, as detailed in the Supplemental Facebook Dating Terms;
• Clarification regarding the uses of special category data (no advertising utilizing special category data, and special category data collected within the dating feature will not be used by the core Facebook service);
• Clarification that all other information will be utilized by Facebook in its standard manner across the Facebook platform, in accordance with Facebook’s terms of service;
• Clarification on the processing of location data (location services must be enabled for initial setup for safety and verification purposes but can then be disabled. Dating does not automatically update users’ Dating location on their Dating profile, even if the user has location services enabled for the broader Facebook service. Dating location is displayed at a city level on the user’s Dating profile, and does not use the user’s precise location.).